


Lyrium Spring in Tevinter

by Quinny_Imp



Series: A Wolf and Three Crows [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Antivan Crows, Antivans, City Elves, Dalish Elves, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, Tevinter, Tevinter Imperium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-08-05 14:25:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16369292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinny_Imp/pseuds/Quinny_Imp
Summary: When Zevran accepted a contract on a Tevinter magister, none of them had any idea what it would lead to. For Fenris it was a turning point, for Eeyo an unbelievable start into his adulthood, and Nadami could continue the work she’d been doing since she was a young woman.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a spin-off of my other story “A Crow’s Daughter”, where you meet the OCs – Nadami and Eeyo – and learn how they all got together with Zevran and Fenris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue is slightly adapted chapter from “A Crow’s Daughter”, so if you read that, it’s going to look very familiar.  
> However, this is how it all started, so enjoy either “how it all began” or “in the previous episode”.

**1**

 

As usual, Fenris parked by the entrance to the bidding room, and watched the Antivan Crows go about their business from his spot. Outsider. Nadami wondered if it was a statement, or he just didn’t like the crowd. He didn’t have to come with them to these things, but still sometimes tagged along. Maybe curiosity.

Nadami sat next to Zevran at the table with another master assassin, Rafa, on his other side. Eeyo stood behind Zevran’s right shoulder with his hands behind his back. He probably imagined he looked fierce, and if not his age of sixteen years he definitely would. Now, however, he made an impression of a dutiful student and errand boy.

The bidding and contract matters progressed as usual. Zevran and Rafa finished their business clearly satisfied. The room started clearing out, when a newcomer appeared at the door.

He was alone. He stopped, and looked slowly around the whole room. Eventually his eyes landed on Zevran, but he moved on to others, then again returned to him. After that he slowly, with carefully measured steps, approached the elf.

As soon as he was in Fenris’s field of vision, the Tevinter – for the lack of a better word – bristled. Nadami thought that if he were a hedgehog, all his spikes would be up right now in self-defence ahead of an upcoming attack. Up to now he was leaning against the wall behind him with his hands loosely crossed in front of him, but when he saw the mysterious man, he bounced off, hunched forward, and looked like he was just about to flare up, reach for his sword, and cut the man’s head off from behind.

The human stopped in front of the table and looked down at Zevran. “You are Zevran Arainai,” he stated. Not asked, but stated. There was smugness in his voice, which made Nadami take an instant dislike of this man.

The Antivan leant back in his chair, put his feet on the table, and interwoven his fingers at the back of his head. A good move, she thought. Even if he stood up, the human would still tower over him, so his dismissive, relaxed seated pose denied the other one the dominance he’d tried to establish.

“I am.”

“I have a proposal for you, but will discuss it alone only.”

Mystery as such was nothing new or unusual. Some people didn’t want anyone to know who they wanted eliminated until the deed was done. In addition, the last thing anyone needed was to try to hire the Crows on someone’s head, and not be able to find anyone, who’d take the contract. Embarrassing and possibly deadly.

Rafa understood the cue immediately. After the approving nod from Zevran, he stood up and left. Nadami followed him a moment later with Eeyo on her heel. They both approached Fenris.

“What is it?” she asked him.

The elf’s nose wrinkled with contempt. “Can’t you see who he is?” he growled.

“A human man.”

“A Tevinter magister,” Eeyo said.

Right; now she understood.

“What does he want?” Fenris asked.

“He wanted to talk to Zevran alone,” she explained. “Probably a contract.”

“And clearly to Zevran, and not just any Crow,” the young elf added.

She nodded. “Indeed.”

The tall elf snorted angrily, and headed out. The other two followed him. They could barely keep up with his long strides, while he didn’t seem to even be aware they were behind him.

 

**2**

 

Zevran returned home to find Fenris pacing back and forth in the small room. He mumbled something under his breath, gesturing angrily. As soon as he saw the Antivan, he asked, “What did he want?”

“Sit down,” Zev replied calmly. “We need to discuss it in detail.”

Fenris cursed in Tevene, and stopped, but didn’t look like intending to sit. The other elf sat at the table, watched by the angry Tevinter.

“He wants to hire me to assassinate another magister.”

“Bah!”

No more came, so Zevran continued, “She is well entrenched, well situated, and sounds like a good challenge.”

The tall elf emitted “Hmpf,” followed by fuming mumbling in Tevene. A long string of curses, the Antivan guessed. Exasperated shaking of his head made Fenris’s hair flow, warming Zev’s heart by the shine in the white mane.

“I didn’t give him an answer yet.”

“You want to do it,” Fenris stated.

Zevran smiled. “For sport, if nothing else.”

“Bah!” Fenris threw his arms up, and started pacing again.

“Fenfen, I would like to take it, yes. It’s good for fun, for prestige, for coin.”

“Yes, yes, let’s have fun at the cost of some slaves we slaughter in the process, because they have no choice but to be there, but to shield their master, but to be sacrificed by their master in a blood magic ritual to strengthen her defences!” His voice was louder, angrier and rougher with each word.

Zevran shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Please, sit down. I’d like to discuss it.”

“There’s nothing to discuss!” Fenris leant his hands on the table, and glared down at the other elf, inclining his head slightly to a side. “This is vile!”

“I can do it, but only with you. You would be my advisor, my source of information, my insider. If you refuse, no deal.”

“Then tell him no deal, because you can’t count on me in this! This goes too far!”

“I would ask for all she owns as the payment. She disappears from the surface, she doesn’t need her possessions. It’s all mine.”

“I hope you enjoy your slaves!” The contempt on Fenris’s face stirred fury in Zevran’s heart.

“Who do you think I am!” he barked back, frowning.

The Tevinter shook his head, not saying a word.

“If we just kill her,” Zev continued, calmer, “he’d take all that’s hers. Even if we freed her slaves, he’d chase them as his property. But if I take them all, and let them go, it’s nobody’s business. We can help them, Fenris.” The other elf slowed down his pacing, and looked at Zevran, listening. “If you help me, if we plan this right, we could eliminate her cleanly, and still do what he wants us to do. But I need you for that. I need your deep knowledge of Tevinter, of magisters, of slaves and their lives. I can’t do it without you.” He stood up, and approached the other one. He took his face in his hands. “I don’t want to do it without you. I won’t do it against you.”

Fenris calmed down a little. “The possibilities,” he whispered.

Zevran smiled. “Endless.” He watched Fen’s eyes grow distant as his imagination went wild with the ideas. Then the green gems focused on Zevran’s face. “I think you owe me an apology for the ugly thing you said, yes?” the Antivan pointed out.

Fenris pulled him closer and kissed. “I think you are right,” he said. “Do you think the other two will come aboard with this?”

“I am not sure.” Zevran pretended to think hard, tapping his chin with a finger. “Would Nadami want to free slaves? She did it all her life, so could be bored with it by now, yes? Would Eeyo? He barely escaped such fate, so why care about those who didn’t.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Fenris chuckled, realising the silliness of his question. He kissed him again, while Zevran wondered how he had ended up with a team of ‘free all slaves’ nut-nugs.

“Where are they anyway?”

The Tevinter smirked. “They went to eat out. Nadami said something about avoiding some cross elf who can’t be reasoned with. Any idea whom she meant?”

Zevran laughed. “No clue!”


	2. Memories

**1**

 

Nadami felt the closer they were to Tevinter, the hotter it got. Was it blood magic or just weather that hated her? Walking uphill wasn’t helping much either. She glanced at Eeyo, a fellow Fereldan, but he seemed to be completely unfazed by the heat. Of course, Zevran and Fenris were both used to living in boiling water, so she didn’t expect any compassion from them. The infrequent breeze mocked her, bringing even more heat. She was sure if it started raining, she could catch rainwater in a mug and make tea.

“You die soon?” Zevran smirked at her.

“I think I died about two hours ago,” she replied.

“Let’s walk up to the top of the hill, and rest there for a while. The breeze should be the strongest over there,” Fenris suggested.

“Oh, so you think hot air blowing in my face is going to revive me?”

“I was hoping it’d cook you. I’m hungry.”

“I hate you!”

He smiled. “I know.”

As they walked up, more vista opened before them. They had avoided the Imperial Highway for the most part after passing through the Hundred Pillars mountains. Antiva was safe but here? Fenris thought it’d be the safest to avoid places of concentration of people, so the rest listened to him as an expert on the matter. Now they were on a path that hugged the cliff. To their right they could admire the openness of Nocen Sea. On the left, green forest hid its noisy wildlife. Ahead…

Ahead, blending with the sea, on an island just by the shore spread a massive city. Nadami had been here and there, she had travelled all over Ferelden, and in the recent year had visited different parts of Antiva, but she’d never seen anything like this. It was both majestic in its glory, and suffocatingly crushing.

“This is suicide,” Fenris mumbled.

She took his hand, and gently held in hers.

“This… is massive,” Eeyo whispered. “Should be easy to hide and blend in, right?” He looked at Fenris. “Right?”

The Tevinter only growled under his breath. He looked around, then picked a place for rest.

All four of them sat on a log, facing the imposing city, and started to eat.

“I suppose it’s not easy to conquer a fortress on an island,” Nadami noted.

“No one ever managed,” Fenris said, and then presented them with a short history of failed sieges of Minrathous, including one attempted by the archdemon of the Second Blight.

Nadami listened to him with a small smile. He knew a little bit about virtually everything. He also could drop a tad of knowledge in any situation to explain things or just share trivia. At first she’d thought it was the result of all those books he kept constantly reading, but in one of conversations with him she’d discovered he’d learnt to read merely a few years ago, and most of all he knew had come from Danarius. The magister had spouted so much in Fenris’s presence and the elf had absorbed a lot of it. She suspected the mage had also loved the sound of his own voice, judging by how much he’d liked to talk.

“What are those tall spires?” Eeyo asked, squinting his eyes to see better.

“The Circle.”

“Wow! They like to tower over everybody, don’t they?”

Fenris smirked. “You have no idea.”

“So what is the course of action?” Zevran asked, munching on his bun.

“I think the safest for now is to stay outside the city. We look around inside, get some supplies, but until we can find a good place, we’d better not hang around in there.”

“Can’t we blend?” Nadami asked.

“I can’t,” he replied, waving his hand in front in her face. Of course, the markings. “Most of Thedas probably has no idea what they mean, but over there?” He nodded toward the city. “The chances of bumping onto someone who knows what they are, are a lot higher.”

“Are you in danger?” Zevran asked with concern.

Fenris shrugged. “Aren’t we all? I always stick out, always draw attention. Nothing I can do about it.”

Nadami noticed that the Tevinter’s mood constantly bounced between worry and trying to shrug it off. Like his couldn’t decide whether to be confident or terrified.

“Let’s go,” Zevran stood up when they all finished their food. “We still have some time before stopping for the night, so let’s not waste it, yes?”

 

**2**

 

Fenris lay on his back; his eyes wide open, restless. He was tired, but sleep was chased away by racing thoughts. Nadami moved in her sleep next to him. Her hair touched his shoulder now, bringing him some peace, but not enough to help him fall into slumber. He stared at the top of the tent, his eyes following moving shadows of trees outside. He also saw what looked like a head. Zevran. He was checking or setting up traps before joining them for the night. Nadami stirred again, and this time her small hand cupped his chin and cheek.

“Can’t sleep?”

“No,” he whispered. He turned to his side to look at her. “I… I’m afraid to sleep,” he admitted.

“Bad memories?” she asked gently.

“No, it’s not that. It’s more of a worry…” He silenced for a moment, trying to put his feelings into words. “What if I wake up, and all this will turn out to be just a dream? Then I have to make myself ready, hope to be fed, and dance to the music Danarius plays? Or they come when we’re asleep? And I’m back where I started?”

“Shhhh…” She moved her finger to cover his lips. “It’s not a dream. And if they come, we’ll fight them or die trying. Come here.” She pulled him closer, and wrapped her arms around him. “I will not allow anyone hurt you.”

They both knew it was an empty promise. He was able to defend himself, and if the odds were against them, there would be nothing she could do about it, but it made him feel slightly better. Not lonely.

Zevran crawled into the tent, and sat next to Nadami. She nodded to the opposite side of Fenris. “Go over there,” she said. “He needs love armour.”

The Antivan grinned. “Love is what I do best!” He lay next to Fenris, and spooned him gently.

“You’re both going to smother me with adoration,” the other elf noted.

“That we are,” Nadami confirmed.

He listened to her heart’s beating, smelled her skin, and felt Zevran’s hair tickle the back of his neck. Slowly, his eyes grew heavier to finally close.

A moment later he jerked, and sat up. He was all wet from sweat, and his throat felt like he had swallowed a half-rotten furry apple. Both Zevran and Nadami sat up too. She rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder, while he gently rubbed his forearm.

“I’m starting to regret this,” Zevran said.

“What?” Fenris gave him a bewildered look. He blinked, and realised he had fallen asleep after all, because he was now vaguely recalling having nightmares. “No, what we’re planning to do is worth it.”

Nadami pulled Fen back down. He nestled his face between her arms again, waiting for the calm to return.

“Are we making you feel safe or just suffocating you?” Zevran asked, wrapping his arm around them both.

For a moment, the other elf gave a serious thought to this question. He could feel the full length of Zevran’s body gently pressed to his. The warmth of his skin was pleasant. Nadami played with the tip of Fen’s ear, and her cheek was pressed to the top of his head.

“You’re my home,” Fenris replied eventually. He loved them both so much that it almost hurt.

Apparently his body felt safe enough enveloped by them, because he slept through the rest of the night undisturbed and without any nightmares.

In the morning, however, he still felt an aftermath of the night’s events. He had that lingering feeling of uneasiness he could not shake off.

“Feeling better?” Eeyo asked him, handing him a cup of water.

“Why do you ask?”

The Dalish seemed surprised by the question. “You screamed at night.”

“I… Oh. I wasn’t aware. I woke up but I didn’t know…” He was embarrassed. “I’m sorry I disturbed your sleep.”

“Don’t be silly!” Eeyo shrugged. “I’m fine. But are you?”

Fenris nodded. “Just nightmares, and I don’t even remember them.”

“I sometimes have dreams of the slaver raid on Redcliff,” the young elf revealed. “Not making much sense, but I know what they mean.”

The Tevinter nodded with understanding. His rarely made sense either, but he also knew where they came from.

He realised Eeyo rarely talked about what had happened back then. Fenris knew the town had been raided and elves attacked, which had forced the boy’s father to take his son and flee to safety. He’d tried to reach the Dalish clan of Eeyo’s mother, but had died from wounds, leaving the young elf in Nadami’s care. Eeyo had other plans for his future, and hadn’t stayed with the Dalish long, though.

“Eeyo, help me disarm the traps,” Zevran called.

Fenris wondered if the Antivan wanted to make them stop talking about grim matters, or just saw a teaching opportunity for his young Crow underling. The Dalish energetically followed Zevran.

“Are you really all right?” Nadami asked.

“Yes.”

She started packing their small camp. “I guess this place brings a few bad memories,” she said.

“Not that I have many of the other kind.” After a pause he added, “Not from around here, anyway.”

“Now we have a chance to make new ones, good ones,” she smiled at him. She looked so lovely when she smiled, he thought.

He hoped they weren’t just about to create some of the worst memories. So many things could go wrong, and the thought of losing any of them terrified him. He had no idea how he’d survive that. If he’d even survive that.

He watched her as she was rolling a sleeping mat. He recalled what Merrill had once said about his having puppy eyes when he looked at Hawke. He wondered if this was what his face looked like when he was looking at Nadami now.

She glanced up at him. “You’re going to help me, or just tower ove–” She frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Puppy eyes? “Nothing.”

“You look… worried?” Not puppy eyes, then.

He knelt on one knee opposite her, took the mat, and finished rolling it. She helped him pack it, then he held her hands, and pulled her closer for a kiss. She tasted sweet and sticky after her light breakfast made of fruits.

They heard of single clap of hands. They looked toward the sound to see Zevran rubbing his palms. “You either invite me to kissing, or finish packing. I’d like to reach the city today.”

“Spoilsport,” Nadami mumbled. The Antivan smirked at her, then winked at Fenris.

Not much later they were again on the road.


	3. The Looming City

Zevran could easily tell Fenris was nervous. The Tevinter had chosen a place for a camp, and while they were unpacking, he kept glancing at the city visible in the distance through the trees with a deep frown. When Eeyo accidentally dropped pots, and they noisily clattered on the ground, Fenris almost jumped as high at the tree tops. Not the first time the Antivan regretted taking the other elf with him. At first he’d thought it was a great idea – taking Fenris as his advisor and source of information – but now he wondered if it wasn’t too much. The Tevinter had excised most of his demons but obviously not all, and Zevran found the thought that he was now the cause of this anguish very unpleasant. The last thing he wanted was to make his lover miserable.

Fenris had to notice he was being observed, because he looked at Zevran and gave him a week smile. The Antivan wondered if there was any way to improve his mood, and he knew of only one thing that he was good at, and which always improved his own. He approached the other elf, took the items he held in his hands, put them on the ground, and pulled him into the bushes.

“Where are we going?” Fenris asked.

“Nowhere.”

When he decided they were far enough from the others, he stopped, gently pressed a little surprised Fenris to a tree, stood on his tiptoes, and kissed the taller elf.

The Tevinter didn’t resist. Didn’t ask any more questions either. Zevran felt his tense body slowly relaxing and loosening up. He did his best to bring comfort to Fenris, to make him forget his worries at least for a short while, to make him stop thinking about his past in the form of a looming in the distance city.

When they returned to the camp, it was already set up, and Nadami and Eeyo sat munching on whatever was left of their food supplies. When the elves joined them, Nadami pushed the bowl toward them. They sat, grabbed buns, and started eating.

Zevran bit into it, then stopped and looked at his steamed bun, at its filling. He hadn’t tasted that for a very very long time. Only once before, in fact.

“Everything all right?” Nadami asked. It took him a moment to realise the question was directed at him.

“Yes, yes.” He took another bite.

“What is it?” She didn’t give up, clearly unsatisfied with his answer.

“Nothing. It just reminded me of something,” he replied. After a moment of hesitation, he continued. “I had these once before. With this filling, I mean,” he added, seeing her confusion. It wasn’t the first time she’d made them. “It was in Redcliff, at the tavern up on the hill.”

Eeyo’s ears perked at the mention of his hometown. “You were in Redcliff?” he asked.

Zevran nodded. “During the Blight. We came to ask the arl for help, but he was ill, and his son was possessed by a demon.”

“Monsters came to the village from the castle. Every night. And killed people.” The young elf’s voice was quiet, grim. He held his bun, starting at it absent-mindedly.

Zevran nodded, not sure whether to continue. He’d managed to improve Fenris’s mood only to ruin Eeyo’s. “You were very young, no? You remember?”

The Dalish looked at him. “I didn’t really understand what happened. I only knew I was not allowed to go outside to play, because it was too dangerous. I remember noises. Screaming. Weird, terrifying sounds at night.” He looked back at his bun, then wiped his eyes. It didn’t help much, as his eyes still shone in the camp’s fire with tears. “Each night they came. Each night the sounds were closer to our home. We knew no one would care about elves. No one would help us. When one night the sounds were very close… I remember I cried.” He paused for a moment, then continued in a voice barely about the whisper. “Mum took her bow, and went to fight them. To defend dad and me.” He could not stop his tears any more, and didn’t even try. “I never saw her again.”

Nadami moved to sit next to him, and hugged him.

“All that was caused by a demon. The arl’s son was possessed, and that demon brought all that death,” Zevran explained. “We tried to do something about it and Nimloth killed the boy to stop all that ugly stuff. Oh, Alistair yelled at her for twenty minutes after that,” he sighed at the memory, “but we knew of no other way.”

“Good. That stupid jerk deserved to die,” Eeyo barked angrily.

“How did the boy get possessed?” Fenris asked.

“His mother discovered he was a mage. She hid it from everyone including her husband, and tried to get someone to teach the boy in secret. The problem was, the illegal mage sent to her had poisoned her husband, so the boy was told by a demon that it would save his father. He believed it.”

“Illegal mage?”

“He was a blood mage, outside of the Circle, and clearly a total idiot, judging by his life choices,” Zevran smirked.

“I could tell you what I think about his life choices the moment you said ‘blood mage’,” Fenris growled.

Eeyo calmed down a little. “So you stopped it? The monsters coming to the village?” he asked Zevran.

“We did. Once the boy was dead, the corpses stayed where they belong – six feet under.”

“You saved me,” the Dalish smiled. His eyes drilled into Zevran’s face with affection.

The Antivan returned the smile. “You’re welcome, my young friend.” He only wished they’d got there earlier to also save Eeyo’s mother.

He thought about what the Dalish had said about his mother. Clearly, she was a feisty, brave woman handy with a bow. That would explain Eeyo’s inclination toward this particular weapon: he had it in his blood. That and more. He was not material for a carpenter, like his father. He was a warrior, ready to go into danger to defend his family, like his mother.

“Tomorrow I’ll go and explore the city a bit,” Eeyo said, standing up. He picked up the emptied bowl.

“No!” Fenris rose to his feet to. “No, not alone.” His voice was harsh and commanding.

“Why? I’m not a child!” The young Dalish sounded offended. “I won’t get lost.”

The Tevinter approached him, grabbed his arms, and looked him intensely in the eyes. “Promise me you will never venture anywhere alone, Eeyo. It’s too dangerous! You’re too tempting a target. Promise me!”

Zevran wasn’t sure it was exasperation or panic in Fenris’s voice.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, you’d rescue me, right?” Eeyo joked.

“Promise me! If they took you, we wouldn’t be able to find you. We wouldn’t even know until it’s too late. Eeyo!” Fenris slightly shook the other elf, as if to wake him up.

“All right, all right, I promise.” He clearly wasn’t happy with this. He freed himself from the Tevinter’s grasp, and gave him an annoyed glare.

“I’ll go to the city for supplies tomorrow morning. We need food and other necessities. You can come with me, if you’d like,” Fenris offered. He sounded calmer now.

A bit pacified, Eeyo nodded. “I would.”

“Then it’s settled.”

The other three started preparing for the night, while Zevran went to set up traps. He was tinkering with one when he heard soft steps behind him. Had to be Nadami.

She crouched behind him, and gently put her hand on his back, probably not to startle him.

“Yes, mi amora?” he asked, not turning.

“Just wanted to ask how you’re doing. You seem a bit tense recently.”

He finished his task, then moved to look at her. “I do?”

She smiled, and put her hand on his cheek. “You do. I suppose this place put us all on edge a little. Fenris acts like a terrified halla.”

Zevran sat on grass. “I am not sure all this was such a good idea. I’m worried about him,” he admitted.

She didn’t say anything. She probably agreed, so couldn’t find words to comfort him. He moved closer and kissed her. Again, the only way he knew how to effectively comfort anyone. Words were always so empty. She welcomed his attention, and clung to him, hungry of his touch.

Making love to Nadami was gentle, unlike to Fenris who liked it more rough, more passionate, more wild. Zevran gave her his best, wondering if she was looking for intimacy to qualm her own nervousness, not his. They weren’t in a safe place, especially for elves, so they all probably felt the ominous atmosphere… except Eeyo. Apparently he thought he was completely safe with them. Zevran was happy they gave him that feeling of security, but agreed with Fenris – their powers of protection were limited in the face of possible dangers. He kept thinking about their situation while Nadami cuddled with him. He skin was moist with sweat, and he didn’t know it was their amorous exertions or the usual: a Fereldan unaccustomed to northern warm weather.

He patted her shoulder. “I need to finish with the traps.”

She moaned objecting, but sat up. He kissed her pouting with protest lips, and grabbed his clothes. When he was done with his task, he returned to the camp, hoping Fenris’s sleep would be peaceful, and not interrupted by nightmares this time.


	4. Everyday of Nightmare

In spite of warm weather, Fenris tried to dress in a way that would hide most of his markings. They were still visible through thinner clothing, but hopefully not glaringly obvious. There was nothing he could do about the lines on his chin, though.

The closer he and Eeyo were to the gargantuan city, the heavier his legs felt. The Dalish’s steps were bouncy and full of energy. He looked excited. He looked around with awe, fascinated by everything around him.

The closer they were, the busier was the road, so easier to blend in with the colourful ragtag crowd. When they entered the city walls, Fenris headed for one of the districts, with which he was vaguely familiar. He knew it was inhabited mostly by elves who worked in various parts of the city, but generally kept to their own community. He hoped to acquire supplies at their local market, which should cover all their needs.

In spite of spending his whole life – at least the part he remembered – in Minrathous, he wasn’t particularly well acquainted with it. Most of what he knew were places Danarius had taken him to, so definitely not the poor districts. Still, sometimes he had a chance to venture away from the rich and glorious parts to what was more common in the metropolis.

He noticed streets were busier than he remembered. He also thought he could see more beggars, and generally people who looked miserable. Misery of whole families that seemed to have just arrived in the city. Guards yelling at newcomers, pushing children out of their way, trying to bring back some order.

Refugees, Fenris realised. Apparently another ship from Seheron had just berthed, and people fleeing Qunari sought shelter in the capital.

Eeyo wrapped his arm around Fenris’s, trying not to get lost in the thickening crowd. “Do we go far?”

“Not too far, but we need to venture deeper into the city.”

They walked. The young elf looked around all the time, sometimes slowing down when something drew his attention, and resuming faster pace only after being pulled. Sometimes he frowned, something opened his eyes wider.

“Not what I expected,” he declared eventually.

“What did you expect?” Fenris asked him.

“Ummm… I’m not really sure but not this. I mean… Look, isn’t this supposed to be the greatest, firstest, awesomest and bestest city in all of Thedas? Look around!” He gestured around with his free hand. The fingers of the other one dug into Fen’s arm, but he was willing to bear with discomfort for the sake of his young charge’s safety.“Over there beautiful towers. Well, beautiful in their prime time, I assume. Now they look like half-eaten by some monsters, but they still stand proud over the city. Over everyone. Over everything.” While Eeyo spoke, Fenris wondered if he made those observations on purpose or the purpose of Minrathous’s architecture was that obvious. It clearly worked, and the Dalish understood exactly why the things were the way they were: magisters constantly reminding everyone they were above them. Even when barely standing, held by magic alone, they still were more majestic than anyone and everything else within the metropolis’s walls. “And then there’s all this around. People busy with their matters, going to their destinations, small, rugged, unimportant. The contrast is… glaring.”

Fenris smiled bitterly. “A keen observation, Eeyo. You perceived everything exactly as they intended. To make you feel small and insignificant compared to their great power. They feed on the memories of their glory. And on the flesh of everyone down here.” Sometimes too literally, he thought.

The Dalish looked at his friend. “ ‘Grrrrr, I feel grumpiness bubbling’,” he rumbled, mimicking Fen’s voice and knitting his eyebrows in a fake frown.

“Wha–?” Fenris stopped, looked at him amused, and then laughed.

Eeyo flashed a naughty grin. “C’mon! Feed me some local food!”

“You’re Fereldan. Shouldn’t you be satisfied with mud?”

“Hey! Don’t steal Zevran’s jokes!”

Fenris wondered if Eeyo drew his thoughts away from grim themes on purpose or was just in a good mood.

As they walked, they soon arrived in a neighbourhood clearly dominated by elves. There were a few humans milling about their business, some human children – Fenris guessed elven blooded, and most likely rejected by their human parents – even a few dwarves, but the majority was elven.

Finally, among buildings that had seen their better times, the Tevinter saw a _vhenadahl_. The district technically wasn’t an alienage, but apparently the city elves over here organised their lives and culture in a similar way to the rest of Thedas. Whatever the reason, Fenris had a landmark to follow in the labyrinth of narrow, filthy streets.

They arrived at a market. Bustling with busy people, some merchants loudly praising their product, lots of customers hurrying around. The thought of strangers bumping into him or accidentally rubbing against him filled Fenris with dread. He frowned, and stayed on the fringes of the market, hoping he could find what he needed in less crowded alleys.

Their first stop was a vegetable stall. Some greens made the Tevinter crack a tiny smile. He hadn’t had them for years, but remembered their taste enough to be happy to see them again.

“Oh, so that’s why you wanted to take me with you,” Eeyo said, when Fenris handed him another bag to carry.

“Naturally.”

“Ha ha,” the Dalish said in a low voice. “Very funny. Ha ha.”

Their next stop was soaps. Normally Fenris would just grab the nearest thing, but this time he wanted to make the perfect choice: for Nadami.

“Which do you think she would like?” he asked Eeyo.

“She’s not very fond of flowery scents.”

That was a good point. She always smelled like fruit. During their time in Antiva, the dominating fruit was something citrus. They sniffed almost everything, trying to decide which she’d like most, while the merchant observed them patiently with a small smile. Eventually they chose three different soaps, almost making a bet which she’d like most, because they couldn’t agree on that point.

“Mmmm,” Eeyo said at the sight of the next stall. Then he deeply inhaled.

The stall was full of pastries, buns, dumplings, and pies, which smelled delicious.

“What is this?” the Dalish asked, pointing at something.

“Sweet buns,” the merchant explained.

“Sweet?” Eeyo looked up at him. “Sweet how?”

“They’re filled with fruits. Applies, berries, and such cooked in syrup.”

The young elf looked at Fenris. He didn’t say anything but bounced on his heels making big begging eyes. The Tevinter rolled his but he couldn’t say no to that, especially since he also felt like tasting some.

“You may want to try these dumplings, too,” the seller suggested. “They’re not a traditional recipe, but your son could like them.”

Fenris glanced at the offered food. The dumplings seemed to be fried and have crispy sides. From the corner of his eye he noticed Eeyo looked at him when the elf had referred to him as his ‘son’, and then brightened when he saw the Tevinter had no intention of clarifying that.

“What’s ins–” Fenris didn’t have a chance to finish his question. Someone ran through the street, shouting something, which stirred near panic in virtually everyone around.

Their merchant left his stall, and ran away, calling someone’s name. Fenris and Eeyo looked after him, then exchanged surprised glances. Eeyo shrugged.

“I guess no weird dumplings for us? What do we do now?”

The Tevinter had no idea. He looked down the street, and most of elves grabbed what they could, then ran away. Some into the houses behind them, some toward the market, some into alleys.

“Run!” Someone yelled into his direction.

Something bad was coming, Fenris belatedly realised, and they stood there, in the open, on a street that was almost empty now. He turned to Eeyo just to see him being grabbed from behind by a man dressed in armour he was all too familiar with. The slaver had put his hand around the Dalish’s mouth, apparently hoping to drag him away before Fenris would turn. The plan failed.

They’d come without weapons – that would be too dangerous – but Fenris _was_ a weapon. He flared up, while Eeyo was wildly kicking the air in panic. The tall elf moved toward the slaver, who slowed down surprised by the glowing elf, while the Dalish’s foot hit his knee. Clearly, the kicking was not what Fenris had thought it was. Eeyo slid out of the grasp, and Fenris didn’t waste a moment. In a split second he was right by the human, making sure he would not take another breath.

Another one tried to grab Eeyo, but this time the young Crow was ready, and skilfully avoided it. He punched the man in the neck, then kicked in the groin, to finally break the slaver’s nose with his knee, as he was bending over in pain.

Fenris realised the slavers weren’t here just for any elves. Their interest was clearly in Eeyo, and Fenris was only a threat to eliminate. So far they only tried to catch the young elf, and showed no intention of hurting him, while their swords were at the ready as soon as the Tevinter turned toward them.

There was that far he could go without his own blade.

He pulled the first slaver they’d beaten up, then threw his body at the group that was closing to him. Then ran toward them utilising the chaos it left them in, and ghosting through their bodies, leaving as much damage behind as he could. He grabbed one of the swords, and turned to the rest that managed to overwhelm and incapacitate his young friend. With a furious roar he leaped to them and cut through with one wide swipe of the weapon.

Eeyo cleverly moved out of the way, while Fenris went after the last group that didn’t seem to be as interested in catching the young elf any more, as surviving the assault of the glowing one.

Not that they had any chances.

The enemies were gone, and Fenris could finally take a deeper breath. He turned to Eeyo, who he had seen fight bravely by his side. He was just about to pay him a compliment, when the young elf rammed him with a hug, hiding his face in his chest.

“I’ll never never never go anywhere alone,” he sobbed through his tears.

Fenris dropped the sword, and wrapped his arms around his young friend. He pressed his head to his chest, and put his cheek on top of Eeyo’s undone in the fight brown braids. He wasn’t very good with words in such situations, so he did his best to offer physical comfort to the terrified elf.

Slowly, the street around them populated. Some elves stared at them suspiciously from distance, some approached slowly. The dumpling stall merchant returned too, carrying a girl of maybe five in his arms.

“What have you done!” someone yelled. “They’ll come back with revenge. Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?!”

“Oh, shut up!” someone else replied.

“You brought death on us all!” the first voice went on. A woman emerged from the crowd, walking toward Fenris, shaking her fist. “They come and kill us!”

“Oh, sure, he should let them take his son, sure!” the merchant barked at her. “Or my daughter. Or any other kid.” His voice was getting angrier with every word. “Not your problem, eh? You don’t have any!”

“Convenient,” another elf chimed in. “Your safety for our children’s fate!”

“When they come they kill you and your children. As it is, at least they’re alive. Slaves but alive!”

While the people kept yelling at each other, Fenris started to get a picture of what was going on. It seemed the neighbourhood was regularly raided by slavers who were interested in only children.

“You can take anything you want. No charge. You saved us today.” The merchant was still holding his daughter tightly.

“That wouldn’t be fair to you,” Fenris replied.

“What you did today…” He shook his head. “I know you protected your own, but still helped us. At least tonight no parent will cry. That’s the least I can do.”

“What are the chances of them returning with revenge?”

The merchant shrugged. “I have no idea. If you ask me, it only postponed the inevitable. They’ll be back, just a lot sooner than they’d be otherwise. I don’t think there is anything we can do about it,” he finished grimly.

“How long has it been going on?”

“About a year or so,” said a female voice behind him. He turned to look at a young woman.

“Cassia’s son was one of the first ones taken,” the merchant said.

She nodded. “If we had someone like you back then, maybe they would stop coming. Maybe they would give up.”

Fenris thought they’d rather find another hunting ground but chose not to say it.

“We can’t leave them like this,” Eeyo said, looking at him. “We have to help them.”

Fenris wasn’t sure what to say to that, and even less sure after he saw the way both the merchant and Cassia were looking at him. There was so much hope in their eyes. They didn’t dare to ask but they clearly wouldn’t refuse such help.

“We… don’t live in the city,” he said.

“You could stay with us,” Cassia offered. “My husband and me. We don’t have much space, but our home is clean and nice.”

“There are two more with us.”

“There’s enough space for two more.”

How could he say no to them? “I must clear it up with the other two first. It’s not just my decision.”

“We understand,” the merchant said, smiling. He put his daughter on the ground, then packed some food for them. “For the road.”

After a moment of hesitation, Fenris accepted the bag.

They set off to return to the camp outside the city, while the street and the nearest neighbourhood slowly returned to normal.

“ ‘I have to clear it up with others’,” Eeyo rumbled in his approximation of a grumpy voice. “ ‘Because Nadami wouldn’t jump at the opportunity of slaying a few slavers that kidnap kips at all, grrrrr’.”

“You are asking for trouble.” Fenris warned him but didn’t really mean it. “Are you all right?” he added with genuine concern. “They scared you.”

“Don’t tell Zevran,” Eeyo asked quietly. “I don’t want him to think I’m a coward.”

“You’re not a coward,” Fenris said, shaking his head. “This was a scary situation. But you defended yourself bravely, and kept a cool head. You did fine.”

“I didn’t feel fine.”

“How do you feel now?”

Eeyo didn’t reply. Fenris didn’t press. Instead, he offered him a fried dumpling, which the other elf happily accepted and ate with appetite.


	5. The Perfect Antivan Plan

**1**

“Do you even have a plan?” Nadami asked Zevran. She sat on the other side of the fire they’d built, watching him. Golden rays of sun reflected in his as golden hair, while a breeze gently touched loose wisps. He was a definition of ‘pretty’, and even the few wrinkles that he now had from constant laughing and smirking couldn’t ruin that. They just enhanced his adorable smirks.

He looked up at her over the daggers he was sharpening. “Plan?”

“How to even start this whole big endeavour.”

Zevran returned to his task. “Vague.”

“So no.”

He glanced at her again. Then back at his weapons. “You want me to share it? It would be a waste of time, because we don’t have any details, and all this planning could be useless at this point.”

She didn’t say anything at first, and only watched him work. “The Crows took a few contracts in the Imperium.”

“Never anything this big.”

“Do you think we can do this?”

He stopped working, and looked at her. “If we can’t, Fenris is the only one getting out of it alive.”

She realised he was dead serious. “We either assassinate her or die trying, huh?”

“We can’t abandon the contract. The Crows would execute us the moment we returned to Antiva.” He paused, then added, “And rightly so.”

She sighed. “You’re confident we can do it.” She assumed he wouldn’t accept the contract if he didn’t believe in their success.

“Indeed.” He froze for a moment, and looked at her. “Nadami, do you have doubts we can do it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. There is something about this place that terrifies me.”

“That something is called Fenris with his scary bedtime stories.”

She smiled weakly. “No, I think it’s more than that.”

He smirked. “It’s the heat. That feeling you’re feeling is melting.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m in the middle of a hostile-to-happiness empire, with no food, with a terrified elf, a reckless elf, and an irresponsible elf. How did I get myself into all of it again?”

“I think it started in a tavern in a small village west of Denerim, no?”

She smiled at the memory. She had been seventeen, Zevran merely three years older, and it had taken him just hours to captivate her heart and never let go. So much had happened since then. “So you admit, it’s all your fault.”

He laughed. “Now regrets, yes?”

She got serious for a moment, and looked at him solemnly. “Never,” she said barely above the whisper. Throughout the years she’d missed him when they were separated, he’d broken her heart twice… three times even! But he also was the driving force behind her choice to dedicate herself to fighting slavers. She loved him so much that sometimes she thought her heart would explode.

She stood up, and went to him. She gently held his wrists, made him put his daggers away, and then kissed him. He laid down on his back, pulling her with him. She sat on his chest. Then placed her hand at his throat, as she had a knife years ago by the lake when they had tried to seduce each other for their own reasons. “I had your life in my hands.”

“You did.”

“You didn’t fight me.”

“I knew I had no chances. All you had to do was to make a small move with that knife. What could I do to prevent it?”

“Were you scared?”

He smiled. “No.”

“You truly believed you could die but weren’t scared?”

“First, I was prepared to die. I’m an assassin, death is in the job description. Second,” his smile turned into a naughty one, “I was too aroused to really think about my doom. You were naked, beautiful, perky, and all I thought was that we wouldn’t finish what were were doing.”

“You horny little elf!”

“At your service, mi amora!” He put his hands on her hips, then slid them higher to her back. She leant to him for a kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her, not letting her sit up again. “Now you are trapped.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“Time for punishment, no?”

She looked at his face. Handsome, tanned, crowned by fair hair, looking at her with those huge lovely eyes, colour of honey. She played with his ears; he closed his eyes, smiled, and purred with pleasure. She showered him with kisses. He purred louder. They cuddled some more.

“You know,” she said, “You’re also the most important person I ever met. A high ranking master assassin in the Antivan Crows.”

“Are you sure?” he asked in a teasing voice.

“Yeah, now you are,” she said without conviction, searching through her memory. “Why?”

“You met Alistair in Denerim.”

She sat up, suddenly realising what it meant. “Oh, Maker! You’re right. I know the king! Well, he wasn’t the king back then, but I talked to him half the night! I personally know the King of Ferelden!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in a gesture of victory.

Zevran started to laugh and couldn’t stop for quite a while, as she felt excitement at the sudden revelation.

Fenris and Eeyo returned to find them like that.

“A good joke we missed?” the Dalish asked.

“Nadami just realised Alistair Theirin is the King of Ferelden,” Zevran said, catching air between howling with laughter.

Both elves looked at her slightly surprised.

“No, it’s not that!” she shouted, poking the Antivan’s arm. “I just… I just never before thought about it. I met him. You know, talked to him. And he’s a king now! I know a king!”

“Wow!” Eeyo’s eyes opened wider. “Neat!”

“I knew him first,” Zevran protested, apparently not willing to lose the glory in the young elf’s eyes.

“I knew that. But didn’t know Nadami also knew him!”

“You also met the Hero of Ferelden, you know,” the Antivan poked her. Her heart stopped for a second. It still stung so much to think about that woman; she was still jealous, even though that particular Grey Warden was long dead. “I’m really not on the top of the list of important people you‘ve met in your life.” His voice was so cheerful he clearly was not aware he’d touched a sore spot.

She chased the bad thoughts away, leant to him, and placed a peck on his cheek. “You are on top of my list of people important to me. With these two jerks.”

Fenris asked, “Hungry?”

“We brought some good stuff,” Eeyo said. “You’re lucky we didn’t eat it all on the way back.”

“How was the city?” Nadami asked. She tried to be discreet but watched the Tevinter carefully to see if something had upset him.

The elves looked at each other, then Fenris told the other two what had happened. Not the first time Nadami wondered why people didn’t just flee this horrible place to never return, and leave those disgusting magisters all alone in their cursed Imperium.

  


**2**

  


Eeyo had not been wrong; not that Fenris had expected him to be. Nadami was glad to help protect elves from slavers, while Zevran welcomed the opportunity of finding a place to stay in the city, instead of camping in the forest.

They’d packed up their camp, and were now on their way to Minrathous.

There was still a matter of smuggling their weapons inside. Fenris didn’t remember noticing any searches, but one didn’t have to search him to spot his bigass sword or Eeyo’s bow.

“How about the merchant helps us?” the Dalish suggested. “He has to bring some stuff from outside, right? So a cart coming in? We could hide them among foodie ingredients.”

“They could search the cart,” Zevran noted.

“But if they don’t?”

“If they do, you lose your special bow.”

Eeyo pouted at that.

Fenris also had thought of that option, but just like Zevran considered the risk too high. Not only they’d lose their weapons, but also possibly get the merchant and his delivery people killed. They had to come up with something else.

“Zev, when Crows came to complete contracts in the past, do you know how they got into the city with their weapons?” Nadami asked.

“I assume they found the way. The chance of them running about with a two-handed blade was small, though. You don’t assassinate with weapons like this. You use poisons. They’re easy to smuggle. Why?”

“I was thinking… I’m human, so I could get away with carrying weapons. If I claimed to be a Crow on the job, maybe they’d leave me alone.”

Zevran didn’t answer. Fenris wasn’t sure he was pondering the option or trying to find a polite way to tell her what he thought about this plan. The Tevinter considered it was too risky for her.

They walked in silence for a while.

Nadami slowed down slightly, and held his arm to slow him down with her. When Eeyo and Zevran were a bit ahead, she asked, “How did Eeyo take it?” She glanced toward the young elf to make sure he couldn’t hear her.

“Why do you ask?” Fenris frowned.

Her eyes returned to his face. “He already is a survivor of one slaver raid, and his father died shortly after from the injury. It could bring bad memories.”

“He was shaken, but he’s all right now.” He didn’t reveal their little secret, just as he’d promised, but he felt slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t thought of that angle. Maybe Eeyo’s reaction wasn’t just being scared by the events here, but indeed what they’d unexpectedly brought up. Fenris’s blood boiled. How vile, how evil Tevinter had to be that it brought all the worst from people’s memories! That any Tevinter they met was a slaver trying to kidnap or murder them. Was there any, at least one – just one! – who wasn’t a monster?

“Are _you_ all right?” Nadami’s voice interrupted his bitter thoughts. She was looking at him with concern now.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied. For a moment he wondered if not to share his reflections with her but changed his mind. She always worried so much about everything, so he didn’t want to give her more reason to panic.

In spite of his assurance, the concern didn’t leave her face. He didn’t have to share anything; she could read him like an open book. Sometimes he felt so attuned to her that he had an impression he could sense her feelings, too.

He wasn’t going to lie to her now. He took her hand, and squeezed it gently, not even sure he was seeking her comforting touch or trying to calm her worries down. Perhaps both. She understood, wrapped her fingers around his palm, and they walked shoulder to shoulder, holding hands.

They left the forest, and walked down a path with a refreshing breeze at their backs. He glanced at Nadami to see if she was miserable in the warmth of the day, which she would without doubt call an unbearable heat, but she seemed comfortable. His own hair flopped on his face, so he tried to blow it away.

“Are you spitting at the sun?” she asked, looking at him amused.

“No,” he blinked. “It’s this bloody…” He blew again, as hair got into his eyes as he glanced at her.

She giggled, stopped, and started rummaging in her bag. A moment later she took something out, and moved behind him. He tried to follow her, so she had to hold his shoulder to stop him from turning. Then she turned his head away from her, and he felt her gently pulling his hair. Not sure what she was doing, but trusting her completely with it, he let her finish. When she reappeared by his side, apparently done, he reached up to touch his head. She’d made a short, thick braid that now rested on the nape of his neck. She raked the mop of his bangs behind his ears, taking a moment to cuddle his ears while she was at it.

“My handsomest elf,” she said, cupping his face in her hands, and smiling at him. He smiled back. She traced his eyebrows with her thumbs. “Mabari pup eyes,” she added. He smiled wider, which made her hug him. “Maker, you’re so cute!”

It was so easy for her to show affection, to express all her warm, loving feelings that he sometimes felt guilty he didn’t know how to reciprocate. He was not good with compliments – and looked even worse compared to Zevran and his wide vocabulary of flattery – terrible with physical closeness, and appalling with words. He hoped she knew how much she meant to him. He tried to tell her that from time to time, but felt that his clumsy declarations were embarrassing.

They resumed their walk, and soon caught up with the other two, who’d stopped. At first Fenris thought they were waiting for them, but then he realised they stood there, looking at the city ahead.

“You stay here,” Zevran said. “I’ll go and look around the gate to assess the situation.” Without waiting for anyone to say anything, he headed ahead. Soon he disappeared among other people on the highway, while the remaining three sat on the side of the road, waiting. Eeyo took another dumpling and started munching on it.

Some passers-by glanced at them, but no one really paid them much attention. They were just another group of ragtag people.

Not much later Zevran was back. He crouched in front of them. “I know what to do, but first I have to know where exactly we are going after we get inside.”

Fenris roughly described the way, and pointed out that it was the best to follow _vhenadahl_ , once it became visible.

The Antivan nodded. “Let’s go.”

“What is the plan?” Eeyo asked.

“I’ll be easier to explain when we are near the gate.”

Fenris felt self-conscious about his sword, now that they were among other people and not hiding on forgotten paths in the forest. However, it looked like others were too busy with their own matters to care about his or Eeyo’s belongings.

They were almost at the gate when Zevran stopped, and turned to look at them. “Use the left side of the gate to get in, yes? We meet at the _vhenadahl_.” With that he run away toward the gate.

“Where are you going?” Nadami called after him. “What are you going to do?”

But he disappeared. Eeyo was the first one to start moving again, and he walked toward the left side of the huge entrance to the metropolis. The little Crow following orders of his master without question made Fenris crack a small smile. The Dalish could be very disciplined… when he chose to.

“It’s not much of a plan,” Fenris heard Nadami mumble under her breath.

Suddenly, some kind of ruckus broke loose. The crowd waved like sea, then seemed to spread away from something creating an empty hole. Someone shouted something and someone else answered, then clutter and other assorted noises. Everything steadily moving to the right.

“Let’s go,” Eeyo said and headed toward the left side of the gate.

“If he gets himself killed, I’ll kill him,” Nadami said with annoyance.

In general chaos, with no guard in sight, they walked through the gate, armed to teeth, and headed for the elven district.

They arrived to the elven tree without an incident, although Eeyo’s bow drew a fee glances. No trouble, though.

It was getting darker now, so the marketplace was mostly deserted. The Dalish went to check if the merchant’s stall was still open, leaving the other two at the _vhenadahl_ waiting for Zevran to join them. They sat on the ground, hoping they weren’t in anyone’s way. Eeyo soon returned accompanied by Cassia. She smiled at them, then gave Nadami a surprised look. She nodded politely to her.

“We need to wait here for the last one,” Fenris explained.

“Yes, Eeyo told me.” Clearly, he also introduced himself to her, and probably explained the situation.

“I hope you have a safe place at home to hide these,” he said, pointing at his sword.

She nodded.

The time passed by slowly. Fenris observed their surroundings. More merchants packed their businesses for the day, fewer people walked about.

Suddenly Nadami jumped up, and ran away. The Tevinter’s eyes followed her to see she was running to Zevran, who finally appeared.

“That was your plan?!” she yelled at him, furious. “Make them chase you?!”

He gave her a loopsided grin of innocence, and spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

It only added fuel to her fire. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Is he in trouble?” Cassia asked Fenris quietly. There was a worried frown on her forehead.

“Oh, yes,” he said, raising to his feet. “Lot’s of trouble.”

“Idiot!” Nadami finished berating Zevran, pulled him to her chest to squeeze him in a hearty hug, then turned away and returned to the rest.

Fenris thought she’d hid her anger quite well until now. He hadn’t even noticed she had been fuming so much at the Antivan’s ‘plan’. Eeyo stood there now, smiling silly.

Zev approached them. “Zevran Arainai, at your service,” he bowed before Cassia, spreading his usual charm. “I hear you’re in need of assistance.”

She smiled at him. Then looked at Nadami with uncertainty. The human paid her no attention however.

“I’d rather not hang out here with all those weapons in view,” Fenris said.

“Naturally. Please follow me.”

She led them to a complex of low buildings. She walked to the one at the far end, in front of which sat a male elf. He rose when he saw them.

“This is my husband, Taeras,” she introduced him.

He took his time to look in the face of each one of them, as Zevran introduced his team. Then moved toward the door, opened it and invited them in.


	6. The Neighbourhood

**1**

 

The home was small. There was one big room downstairs with a table, simple furniture, and an empty place the hosts were now trying to turn into a sleeping corner for their guests.

“Where do you sleep?” Nadami asked Cassia.

“Upstairs,” she explained. “There’s a tiny room up there. Small enough to _be_ a bed.”

“I hope we won’t be too much trouble,” she said.

“No, not at all. Are you hungry?”

“Do you have dumplings?” Eeyo asked.

“Didn’t you eat like a hundred of those already today?” Nadami chuckled.

“And I could eat a hundred more!”

“Is there enough space upstairs to hide our weapons?” Zevran asked. Leaving them downstairs could be too risky. Fenris’s sword and Eeyo bow were especially hard to hide, and he didn’t want any random guests see that armoury, and possibly get their hosts into trouble.

“Yes, we can place them on shelves.”

The Antivan had just finished inspecting the room. “Can I take a look upstairs?” he asked Taeras.

“Naturally.” The elf seemed a bit surprised but led the Crow up the narrow staircase.

The room indeed was tiny. He could see a thick mat spread on the floor, then covered with bedsheets. Cassia wasn’t joking about the room being a bed. Above it, there were shelves stacked. Zevran placed the bigger weapons on the lowest and widest one after Taeras emptied it. He only kept his special blade that he had always hidden in his boot.

“I hope the shelves can’t fall,” the Antivan noted.

The other elf smiled. “No, don’t worry.”

They returned downstairs. Nadami insisted to help Cassia with preparing their meal, while Fenris and Eeyo finished making their beds. They placed one separate sleeping mat by the wall under shelves for Eeyo, and the rest in the nook for the other three.

The Antivan sat at the table.

“We will keep our weapons upstairs,” he said to the others. “In case of another slaver attack, Eeyo will stay upstairs and shoot whoever he can with his bow from the window.” He looked at the Dalish. “Under no circumstances you are allowed to go downstairs or outside. Is that clear?”

He got a firm nod. “Clear!”

With that, Sera Assassin was gone, and Ray of Sunshine was back. He stretched on the chair. “Ah, always nice to sleep under a roof, yes?” he said with a big smile.

Fenris murmured, “Mmm, I for one will happily not spend another night in a tent.” Zevran eyed him amused. The Tevinter was a city elf through and through.

Finally the food was on the table, and everyone started eating. Eeyo, filled with dumplings, barely touched it.

After supper Taeras showed his guests the neighbourhood. The flat was in the last section of the long low building, and there was a nook behind in empty space between theirs and the next building, which had been turned into a tiny communal garden. A small tree in the middle, with fruit and vegetables growing in neat rows, all inside a low fence. Benches around placed by surrounding walls were a clear sign the residents liked to spend some time here. A drop of nature in the sea of houses. The market was not far, and a small local chantry merely few minutes walk away.

As the evening turned into the night, the hosts went to sleep, while their guests were still discussing their plans.

“How long do we stay here?” Eeyo asked, looking at the adults.

“We promised them protection,” Fenris noted. “So as long as necessary.”

“Which means?” Zevran asked.

“Until the slavers decide this place is not a convenient hunting ground any more, and stop coming.”

“Fair enough,” the Antivan nodded. They all knew, even though none of them said it, that it meant a new hunting ground, and dumping the problem into somebody else’s neighbourhood. Still looking at Fenris, he added, “We need a map of the city. When we get it, can you mark certain points on it?”

“What points?”

“The target’s place of residence, convenient and safe way to move around the city, anything that a local knows and a map doesn’t show.”

“Don’t forget I am not that familiar with all of Minrathous. It’s not like I was free to walk about any time or anywhere I wanted.”

Zevran wondered if there was bitterness in Fen’s voice or he just imagined that.

“Still, you know more than we do,” he pointed out.

Fenris nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“The first thing we have to do is to learn as much as we can about the mark: her habits, any regular trips she makes, everything that’s possible.” All the others nodded. “I’ll start tomorrow. I need to familiarise myself with the city anyway.” He wanted to continue, but a big yawn from Eeyo silenced him. “We can deal with it tomorrow, yes? Go to sleep.”

The Dalish didn’t need to hear more. He almost immediately rose, and soon was in his makeshift bed, deep in slumber.

“A hard day for him,” Fenris said, looking at him. “I’m going too sleep too.” He got up.

“G’night,” Nadami smiled at him. He smiled back, and went to the tiny bathroom.

She rose to put her emptied mug away, then returned to the table.

“Zevi,” she said, leaning to him and kissing him as he turned his head toward her. She then walked around him toward her chair that stood on the other side of him.

“Now from the other side, yes?” He pouted his lips for another kiss. She smooched him. “What do you need, mi amora?” She looked tired. Pretty, but tired. He felt a bit guilty he had worried her earlier today, but there was no other choice. He sort of enjoyed the chase with the guards. It’s been a while since anything had given him such a blood rush. Still, her anguish was an unwelcome, albeit not unexpected, side effect. He promised himself to make it up to her.

“I was thinking about that reconnaissance. Maybe it’d be better if I went, not you? Y’know, safer?” She pointed her small round ears.

He smiled. “Or we go together. I’ll pretend to be your servant.”

She smirked. “Will you carry all my bags?”

“Naturally. I will do that and a lot more.” He winked.

“Oh, _that_ kind of servant, huh?” she laughed.

“I’ll be your sex slave,” he said, then pulled a face, realising it wasn’t really a funny joke. He glanced toward Fenris, who was getting into the bed, to see if it had reached his ears.

“I don’t think he heard you,” Nadami said, also stealing a look toward the other elf. Then she smacked Zevran’s shoulder. “You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“You’re an adorable idiot.”

He fluttered his eyelashes. “I know.” She smiled at him, and those cute unusual eyes of hers narrowed. “Spotted nug,” he said, moving his thumb over her freckles. She pouted, pretending to be offended, and he kissed her lips. She’d washed her hair with the new soap Fenris and Eeyo had bought for her, so it smelled fresh and like an apple. “I’ll eat you.” She giggled. She touched his forehead with hers, while her warm fingers played with his ears. He closed his eyes, enjoying her closeness. After a moment she kissed the tip of his nose, and went to lay down in their new bed.

For a while, he just sat there in the dark room, watching them sleep. He couldn’t believe how soft he had become since Nimloth. Not a feature of an assassin to have so many vulnerabilities and soft spots, to care so much about someone. He knew he should fight it, but didn’t want to. It felt good to have them all in his life. The adventure was fine, but so much more entertaining when he could share it with someone.

To think of it, he always had someone to share things with. Taliesen. Then Nimloth. Now them. And each time he was deeper in emotional addiction. He could leave Taliesen, and had even helped to kill him in defence of Nimloth and his own new path. He’d somehow managed to survive Nimloth’s death and after long years pick himself up enough to open his heart again. Or maybe Fenris would open it anyway, trying to heal his own. Zevran dreaded to think what would happen to him if he lost any of them. He probably wouldn’t survive losing all of them. Easy fix: throw yourself at the Tevinter magister, and get quickly killed by her magic. He doubted in this case he’d be spared and taken as a lover. That is, if even was still alive after trying to defend them against any danger. He knew he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his life to save theirs. That was simple math.

He chased grim thoughts away, and decided it was time for sleep for him too.

 

**2**

 

Breakfast was light and mostly fruity. Taeras went to work, while Cassia got herself busy with her daily tasks after being assured her guests didn’t need anything.

“You have a moment?” Eeyo asked Zevran.

The Antivan turned to look at him. “Mmmm?” The Dalish handed him a brush. Zevran took it, while Eeyo turned around. The Antivan started brushing his brown hair. “It’s gotten quite long,” he noted.

“I was thinking about braiding it a little higher, so that there’s less on my neck,” the young elf said. “But I’d need help.”

“Or you could… perhaps cut it short?” Zevran teased him. He already knew such a suggestion was unacceptable for his young friend.

“Uh-uh,” Eeyo said, barely stopping himself from shaking his head. “Nopey.”

The Antivan felt a little pride. He’d managed to infect the Dalish with his own hair care regime, teaching him how to take care of it, and what to do with it when it was long enough. He had absolutely no regrets; Eeyo’s hair was beautiful: thick, strong, of deep brown colour. The elf was growing up to become a stunningly handsome man, and his well-groomed hair would only add to his charm.

He plaited four braids: two started right above his ears, two a bit higher, then tied them together, leaving the rest of hair loose. Eeyo bangs stayed above his right eye, raked aside. Nadami watched them with a small smile. He smiled back at her, and the moment he was done with Eeyo’s hair, the elf said, “I have business with Fenris. You two keep grinning at each other like teenagers.”

They burst into laughter, and even Cassia joined them.

“You’re worried we’re going to steal your job?” Zevran teased him.

Eeyo only wrinkled his nose at him in reply. The Antivan watched him discussing something with Fenris, then they both left the house.

“Soooo, we go for that romantic walk?” Nadami asked, approaching him.

“Absolutely!”

They left the house. It was a sunny, warm day. Zevran watched Nadami squint at the bright sky, and sigh. He knew he was going to hear more about unbearable weather, unforgivable sun, and torturous heat. He found the weather lovely.

As they passed by the communal garden, they saw that Fenris and Eeyo were performing some kind of exercises. Apparently the Dalish didn’t intend to waste time while waiting for the real thing to start. Zevran approved.

As they walked through different districts, the differences between them became more and more obvious. Buildings with slightly different decorations, and in varied conditions. The closer they were to the ‘proud’ part of the city, the better regular buildings look, and the more obvious the rubble of the oldest ones was at the same time.

“You would think they’d choose to repair the damage, no?” Zevran said, raising his head high.

“Too lazy, perhaps? Or it’s just to show how powerful their magic is. ‘Look, we can keep the city up if we want to!’.” She paused. “It is impressive, I must admit. Sends quite a message.”

“Oh!” Zevran slapped his hands together. “That reminds me that I must send a message!”

Nadami spread the map they’d bought while exploring the city. “We need to go here,” she pointed a spot. “If you trust their messengers.”

“Well, they need to send them too, I presume.” He shrugged. “Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“Fair enough. Care to share what message?”

“Oh, it’s no secret, my lovely lady. I want to let Rafa know where we are and how to reach us. For a while, at least.” He also wanted to know how his assassins were doing. He’d left Rafa in charge while the Arainai were in up to their chins in fairly serious chaos, and hoped it hadn’t gone worse since he’d been gone. “Maybe he also knows something about the contract on my head,” he added.

She sighed. “Ugh, I wish we had that matter resolved.”

He smirked. “Nah, it’s more fun this way!”

“Your fun is not my kind of fun,” she grumbled.

He took her hand, and tickled the underside of her palm. “I’m sure we can find fun we both can enjoy,” he wriggled his eyebrows at her.

“Sometimes I wonder why I love you. You’re horrible.”

“Because I‘m adorable and super handsome!”

That made her laugh. He loved to make her laugh. Her laughter was like pearls on glass.

“What you grinning at?” she asked him, eyeing him suspiciously.

“You.”

“What did I do?”

“You exist.”

That gave her pause for a moment. She kept eyeing him with no less suspicion, probably expecting something… typical for him. “What do you want?” she asked slowly.

He laughed out loud. “Oh, I can’t say that in such a crowded place! Children are running about!”

She sighed again. “Remind me why I love you again?”

He laughed louder. “Let’s do some scandal!” He pulled her closer for a kiss.

That indeed turned a few heads toward them. He enjoyed it a lot. “Now, let’s send that message,” he said.

 

**3**

 

Fenris wished they could practise with their weapons. Holding a heavy object would help build muscles and strength.

“I suppose no archery for me,” Eeyo said bitterly.

“You can’t use your bow in the open.”

“How am I suppose to become good at it, then?”

“We’re not staying here forever. You’re going to be able to continue soon.”

“But I’m wasting time!”

“Eeyo, we’re all making sacrifices.”

“Oh yeah? What sacrifices are you making?” the Dalish attacked.

“I have to be here,” Fenris growled.

“What’s wrong with ‘here’? The house is clean, the hosts are nice.”

“Here in Tevinter,” the tall elf explained.

“Oh.”

Fenris could swear Eeyo’s ears flopped down a bit. “Do you miss Ferelden?” he asked.

“I miss my dad. And mum.”

That was not the answer the Tevinter expected. He didn’t intend to bring his young friend’s mood down, so he didn’t press. As they turned toward the entrance to the garden executing the next pose in their form, he saw that a few children and adults stood there watching them. One of the kids, maybe five years old, seemed to mimic them. They continued, however. Fenris thought he should have expected it; they were in the open, and many people on the street passed by the garden. Anyone who’d look inside could clearly see them.

“Every slaver we will kill will be my revenge,” Eeyo said.

“Mm?” Fenris gave him a distracted look.

“For my dad. They killed him. I’ll kill them.”

So much viciousness in the Dalish’s voice. The Tevinter nodded with understanding. It was as good a reason to go on as any, as long as not the only reason.

“We need a break,” Fenris announced.

“What? Now? Why?”

“You’re sweating. Let’s take a few minutes to catch a breath, and drink some water.”

“But–”

“You’re not used to this weather.”

“Alll riiiiight,” Eeyo sighed. Then wiped his forehead. “I’ll grab some water.”

As they stopped, and the young elf moved toward the street, the gawking crowd spread. Some kids ran away screaming – or perhaps laughing, Fenris couldn’t tell for sure. He sat in a shadow on one of the benches, and waited to Eeyo’s return.

He hadn’t lied to the Dalish, he really wasn’t happy to be back here, but at the same time… a part of him felt comfortable, familiar. A couple of times he had an impression he remembered something, but it was a fleeting feeling. Smells, colours, sounds seemed to bring something back, to dig deep in his memory’s secrets, and almost reveal them. He both dreaded it and wished it. What would happen if he suddenly remembered everything? Would he become a different man? Would he still love Zevran and Nadami? Would he want to stay with them? Would he remember his growing up with Varania, and were more inclined to forgive her betrayal? How possible was it for him to meet someone he had known in his previous life? A few unclear mental pictures told him little: he had a mother, no sign of a father, both his sister and himself born as slaves to a slave mother. That was all he had to go on. Plus what he’d been told. He looked at his markings. If he’d fought for them and won, who had trained him? And why?

Eeyo returned with two mugs, and handed him one. They sat in silence sipping. A bird sang in the tree. People’s voices came from the street. A noisy cart was pushed down the road, and someone called others to move aside.

Then Fenris heard a familiar voice. At first he couldn’t place it but as soon as she was close enough to see her and understand her ranting, he recalled: the lady who had not been happy after he’d defeated the slavers.

“… and now they have a martial arts school here?!” she yelled to someone who was walking with her. “Can you imagine that? What do they expect us to become? An army?!”

She and her companion walked toward them now. When she saw them, her fury seemed to grow. “What do you think you’re doing?!” she attacked Fenris. “You’re going to get us all killed, moron!”

Fenris slowly rose, and stepped forward to put himself between her and Eeyo. Just in case. The woman’s companion cowered a little behind her.

“You come here, a stranger, you have no idea how things work, and complicate our lives!”

“I defended what I hold dear,” he growled at her in Tevene.

That silenced her for a moment. Apparently she’d taken him for a foreigner. Or she was one and didn’t speak the local language, but that was less probable.

“And what do you want now!” she attacked again, also in Tevene.

While the other elf still stood in silence and hiding behind her, Eeyo watched them in confusion. He could not understand a word they said, not that he was missing much. She rambled about the community’s safety, swearing at Fenris with any insult she could think of, while he tried not to rip her apart. A part of him despised her for her mistaken priorities, but he could understand the fear she had to live all her life with, which most likely shaped her reactions now.

“They could be oblivious to what those mean,” she yelled pointing at his markings. “But I know! I know! You won’t get away with this!” She screeched, shaking her fist. Then she turned around, and left in hurried and angry steps. Her companion followed her, only throwing glances at Fenris from time to time. Did he want to make sure the warrior wasn’t following them?

Her final statement puzzled Fenris. She’d assumed he wasn’t Tevinter, but she also knew what the lyrium on his skin was. How come? Where there others with them who weren’t Tevinter? He thought it entirely possible the ritual wasn’t Tevinter in origin and Danarius or magisters in general stole it from somewhere, but where? From whom?

“How can that bitch stand here and rant in my presence she’d rather I was a slave than she inconvenienced?” Eeyo grumbled.

“Egoism combined with fear,” Fenris said. “Ready to get back to work?” he asked.

The Dalish put his mug away, and jumped up. “You bet!”

They continued their forms and poses, while the little crowd of resident elves again started to gather and watch them.


	7. Second Time Not the Charm

**1**

  


At this point Fenris waking up screaming didn’t even startle Nadami. She sat up, trying to get her bearings, then patted Zevran’s shoulder. “Go back to sleep, I’ll take care of it.” He mumbled something she didn’t understand in Antivan, and slumped back on the pillow. So did Eeyo.

Fenris sat with his legs bent, his stretched forward arms on his knees, and his head between his arms. A white mop on patterned shoulders.

Nadami heard steps on the stairs, and a moment later Cassia and Taeras appeared in the room. She waved at them to return upstairs. “It’s nothing, go back to sleep,” she whispered. They both stood there still, worry painted all over their faces. “He just had a bad dream, that’s all.” Reluctantly, they returned to their bedroom.

Now her attention was on Fenris. She could hear his breathing slowing down, and his glow subsiding, but he still kept hiding his face. She moved closer to him, but made sure she didn’t touch him. At moments like that he either sought physical contact or avoided it, and there was never an indicator which one it was. So she made herself available if he needed it, but didn’t impose it.

He leant toward her, though, so she gently wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back. She caressed his head, making shushing sounds like to a baby. After a short while she lay down, and he wrapped himself around her body. She felt Zevran’s arm resting on Fen’s shoulder across her chest.

“Next time we wake everybody up making different sounds,” the Antivan said quietly.

A warm blow on her skin told her his words amused Fenris; he soundlessly emitted one single laugh. She hoped it was enough for him to fall back asleep. She wished so much she could take this burden off him, even if it meant she’d have his nightmares. He’d gotten through so much bad that he deserved some peace, but in spite of everything positive in his life now, he still could not achieve a complete rest.

As usual, she did not fall asleep until he did. Only then her own heart calmed down sufficiently to return to slumber.

  


**2**

  


Fenris had just sat down with tea, when Cassia came downstairs. Taeras, as usually, was gone to work before his guests got up. The warrior approached her with a sheepish expression. “I’m sorry about last night,” he said.

“You had bad dreams?” she asked. He nodded. “Had to be horrible. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I didn’t mean to wake up anyone–”

“Don’t worry about it. Things like that happen.” She gave him a pleasant, calm smile.

Still slightly embarrassed, he returned to his cup of morning tea, watching Eeyo finish his work in the corner by the window, which was the brightest spot in the room right now. For the past few days the Dalish decorated local children’s toys. A boy had seen him carve something on a bench, and asked for a similar picture on his toy. The next day he’d brought a friend. Now Eeyo had a small queue of wooden carts, swords, shields, and dolls to make them more beautiful. He seemed to enjoy doing it. Fenris thought it brought him peace, and reminded of his father and the previous quiet life.

The bliss of the morning was interrupted by screams outside. A high pitched voice was closing, calling Fenris’s name. He quickly rose and went outside to see a young girl he’d never seen before.

“They’re coming!” she shouted stopping in front of him. “They’re coming!”

She was young, probably young enough to also be of interest, so he grabbed her thin arm and pulled inside. He had no idea how far she lived, and wasn’t going to risk her life by sending her home. “Eeyo, take her upstairs and stay there. You know that to do.”

“I do!”

He told Cassia to also not leave the house, then followed the young ones to pick up his, Zevran’s, and Nadami’s weapons, and after that returned downstairs just to see the other two rushing toward him.

Armed, the three left the house to the empty-by-now street, and headed toward the market. There was still screaming reaching their ears, so they knew not everyone was lucky to run away in time.

An armoured man carried a child, while another tried to push away a woman, who desperately tried to reach the first one, presumably to save her daughter. Fenris’s blood boiled at that. He flared up with fury, and jumped toward them. The slavers quickly recognised the danger he posed, so the one with free hands shoved the woman hard enough to knock her back to the ground, then took his sword and faced the charging elf. He was, however, too slow, and by the time he was ready, Fenris’s own blade was already sinking in his chest. The elf furiously ripped it out, and turned toward the other one. The man had a choice: to let the child go or to get slaughtered without even an attempt at defence. He opted for the former, but it didn’t make much difference. He only made Fen’s job easier, since the elf didn’t have to worry about the girl being dropped. He sank his hand in the slaver’s chest, then ripped his heart out, and squeezed it until it burst. Hearing steps behind, he turned, expecting more trouble.

Nadami and Zevran were both busy by now, cutting through more slavers. The human was always so gentle and affectionate that she appeared almost too soft for this kind of a job, but now she was a murderous machine, viciously fighting her enemies with a twisted by hatred and disgust face. He saw her arm was bleeding but she didn’t seem to be concerned by it or even notice she’d been wounded. Her rage fuelled her.

Zevran was more methodical. Each of his moves calculated, measured, smart. His Crow training showed. He efficiently utilised his small stature as a weapon too, tricking and fooling his opponents. His style was the epitome of dirty fighting, but he did it with so much grace Fenris regretted he couldn’t just stop and watch.

He took noticed of all that in merely a few seconds he was given, before he had to actively return to the fight.

By now the three worked out a strategy, increasing their own chances of survival, and shortening the length of combat. Usually it concentrated on pushing everyone toward Fenris, so that he could take down many at the same time with his long sword and lyrium flares. Nadami’s tactic brought the enemies together, facing her, so not seeing Fenris behind them, while Zevran picked up anyone who was too far for powerful swipes of the long sword. Eeyo, if he were here, would take anyone standing further from the group.

They were so used to doing it that way by now they all but forgot about randoms, who would normally end up with an arrow in their chests. Fenris had an unpleasant and painful reminder of that, when he was suddenly rammed by one with a shield. All he managed to register was Nadami trying to warn him, and then he found himself flat on the ground under a huge, burly human. The slaver took a swing to sink his sword in Fen’s chest, but before he could bring his weapon down a knife flew into his eye, killing him instantly. Pushing his body off himself, the Tevinter heard Zevran’s victorious laughter.

“We need Eeyo!” Nadami shouted.

“Move!” Zevran shouted back.

  


**3**

  


Eeyo leant as far as he could without falling out of the window, but he couldn’t see them. He hoped they’d bring the mobs closer, so that he could shoot a few in their worthless heads, but the noises of the fight weren’t getting nearer. He was slightly disappointed. He wanted to pay them back for what they were doing. For how they’d scared him the last time.

He glanced at the girl. She was sitting on the mat, her knees curled up to her chin. He thought she had to be scared. He went to her, and crouched in front of her.

“It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry,” he said softly, trying to cheer her up.

She looked up at him. A pair of dark eyes. Huge eyes. Surrounded by a pretty face with dark, wavy hair around it. His lips stretched in a smile, which was returned.

“Aren’t you scared?” she asked.

“A little.”

“You don’t look scared.”

“You didn’t see me the last time. I’m glad I didn’t pee myself. I was wearing my favourite trousers,” he joked, which made her giggle.

“You don’t sound like you’re from here.” She reached out to his face, but withdrew her hand without touching his skin. For some reason, he felt disappointed by that. “Are you Dalish?”

“I am. From Ferelden.” He realised it was probably the first time he introduced himself as Dalish. Somehow, he had mixed feelings about it. Did he betray his father’s heritage? But his mother would be glad? But she’d chosen to live in Redcliff…

Not the time for this!

“I never saw a Dalish. From anywhere,” she said.

He opened his mouth to tell her he’d grown up in a small village before becoming a Dalish, but he heard Zevran’s voice outside, “Regroup! Regroup!”

He returned to the window to see them bringing the fight closer. Without wasting any time Eeyo grabbed his bow from the shelf, and started showering the slavers with his arrows. He made sure to target mostly those at the fringes and the fighting mob, as his job was to not allow anyone run away or sneak behind any of the other three.

Someone threw something out of a window at the fighting mob, and one slaver’s armour caught fire. Then another caught it from him. As the attackers spread thinner, Zevran and Nadami stood behind Fenris who then made a wide swipe with his long sword, and cut through the enemies wholesale.

Apparently they felt it was a bit too much, and decided to retreat. The first one simply turned and started running away. Eeyo aimed… and missed. Frustrated, he almost dropped the next arrow. Aimed again. Took a moment to steady his hands, even if it meant the target got further away, then let go of the string. The arsehole fell on his face with an arrow in his back.

“Ha!”

Another runner was caught by Fenris. Zevran and Nadami finished off stragglers. Unless someone had managed to get away before they had been lured to the street, everyone was dead.

Eeyo looked at the girl. “You all right?” he asked.

She didn’t seem scared any more. Her big eyes seemed even bigger now. She only nodded in reply.

“Come, let’s get you home. Your parents are probably worried.”

He led her downstairs and outside.

“Uggggh, that’s a lot to clean up,” Zevran moaned. “And I have blood all over my clothes!” He complained, hopelessly spreading his hands.

Nadami giggled. She was putting out with fire with the help of some elf. Soon burned slavers were not a fire hazard any more.

The girl placed a kiss on Eeyo’s cheek, then ran away. He looked after her, stunned.

“What’s her name?” Nadami whispered to his ear.

“Mmm?” he looked at her, distracted.

“What is her name?”

“I don’t know.”

“You didn’t ask?”

“Ummm, no.” Had he been rude?

She smiled, and looked at the others pulling the bodies out of the street, but side-glanced at Eeyo. “Remember, you’re a Crow, no personal attachments,” she reminded him.

“Said the Crow who is in love with _two_ men,” he replied, smirking smugly.

She winked at him, then went to help with the cleanup.

“It’s not like that!” Eeyo shouted toward her.

“Ummmm,” she replied, smiling knowingly.

“It is not!”

“What’s not?” Zevran asked.

“Eeyo has a girlfriend!”

“No, I don’t!” the young elf protested.

“Really!” Zevran’s interest was picked. “That is nice!”

“It’s… you… Ugggrh!” The Dalish threw his arms up in resignation.

“She kissed him,” Nadami told Zevran.

“Who?” Fenris asked.

“It was a thank you kiss,” Eeyo tried to convince them.

“The dark-haired girl,” Nadami told Fenris.

“Is she pretty? I didn’t see,” Zevran prodded.

“Very pretty!” Fenris replied.

“Stop!” Eeyo shouted.

“A pretty girl kissed him? I’m jealous!” Zevran mocked offence.

“You’re horrible!” Eeyo was losing patience.

Nadami kissed Zevran on the cheek. “Better?” she asked.

“Ah, now that is perfect!” he replied. He looked at Eeyo. “Was it perfect?”

“Gggghh,” the Dalish only growled, and returned to the house to put his bow back.

He heard the other three giggling.

When he was back to help with the cleanup, they were still joking, but they teased each other now, and to his relief left him alone. The last thing he needed was them embarrassing him like that!

Slowly, the neighbourhood returned to its normal daily routine. Eeyo wondered if the Angry Woman would return to complain some more, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  


**4**

  


Nadami hadn’t even noticed her injury, until Zevran approached her with bandages and ointments. She let him take care of her arm, trying not to wince too much. Now, that everything calmed down including her adrenaline levels, and the wound was being irritated by cleaning, it hurt.

“I wish I could make it better,” he whispered sensually to her ear.

She caressed his ear, enjoying the coolness of its tip. He kissed her, and for a moment she forgot about the pain when she felt his tongue touching hers. She responded in kind, also wishing they could make it better, but the conditions didn’t allow much intimacy.

“Now that I healed you with my magic powers,” Zevran said, moving away, “I can take care of other important matters.”

He went to clean his knives.

Nadami stood up and approached Cassia, who was busy folding clothes.

“I hope we didn’t cause much trouble last night,” she said.

“Are you joking? You saved a girl, and killed bastards, and you’re worried about last night?”

“It may happen again,” Nadami warned her.

“It’s nothing.” After a pause, the elf added, “I can’t even begin to imagine what brings nightmares like that.”

The Crow sighed. “Believe me, neither can I.”

“And how could I even complain,” Cassia smiled sadly. “You protect us. You protected us today. A brief break in sleep is a small price to pay.”

Nadami smiled at that.

She noticed a toy on a shelf, by which she stood. She neared her hand to touch it, but changed her mind, realising that it could be inappropriate. From what Fenris had told her, Cassia and Taeras had lost their child to a slaver raid, and this was probably the only thing they had left. She didn’t want to violate their memory for a mere act of curiosity.

“Sometimes I wonder how he is,” Cassia said. Clearly, she’d noticed Nadami’s move. “I hope… I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but… I hope he’s not like Fenris. I mean, he doesn’t have life that causes such nights.”

“I know what you mean,” Nadami said. “Trust me, Fenris would agree with that too.”

For a moment they were both silent, but then the elf quietly said, “Can I ask you a question? I personal question?”

“Sure.”

“I saw… I saw you and Zevran kissing. And he clearly shows you a lot of affection…”

“Zevran shows everybody affection. That’s his style,” Nadami grinned.

“Not like you,” Cassia said, and it was one of the nicest thing Nadami had recently heard. “I mean… and here’s my question. It looks like you and Zevran are together…”

“I think I know what you’re trying to ask.”

“He also shows this special affection to Fenris, and… I know it’s not my place… I also saw you kiss Fenris… so which one of them are you with?”

“Both.”

Cassia finished folding, and looked at her. “Both?”

“Both.”

“That’s good. That’s good.”

“Good? Why?” It wasn’t a reaction she expected.

“I just… I worried if someone was cheating on someone, but it didn’t look like cheating… never mind me, I was just confused.” She started folding another piece.

Nadami stood next to her, and began helping her.

“Can I ask more?” the elf said after a moment.

“Go ahead.”

“Which one do you love?”

“Both.”

“Both? I didn’t even know it’s possible.”

“Neither did I until it happened.”

“How does that feel?”

“Like being in love, just doubled.”

Cassia laughed. “Sounds good!” She paused, hesitating, then asked, “Do you feel jealous if they spend time together?”

“No.”

That surprised the elf. “Never?”

“Never.”

“What do you feel when you see them kissing?”

“Happy.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re happy.”

“Do you… umm… all three… do that too?”

Nadami smiled. “Yes. Sometimes all three, sometimes just two. Really depends on our mood.”

Cassia leant toward her, and whispered, “How is it with two men?” Then immediately changed her mind, and waved it off. “Nah, no, never mind. Let’s pretend I didn’t ask that.”

The Crow laughed.

For a day from a nightmare, it was a pleasant evening.


	8. A Terrifying Mirror

**1**

 

Fenris and Eeyo sat, each reading. One elf was going through books borrowed from their neighbour, the other one through all source of information on current events.

“Did you know,” the young elf said, “that this inquisitor person is an Antivan Dalish elf?”

“I didn’t,” Fenris replied. He hoped it wasn’t another prelude to Eeyo fishing for more stories from Kirkwall, but since the other elf returned to his newspaper, he could get back to his own book. The Dalish could sometimes be a little tiresome with his never fully satiated curiosity.

The Tevinter didn’t get much further in his book, as Tantar’s head popped inside.

“Fenris, you have a moment?” he asked, knocking simultaneously on the door’s frame.

“Of course.” Stifling a sigh, he put away his reading, rose, and follow the Great Dumpling Master, as Eeyo called Tantar now, to his stall.

“I’m sorry to bother you with this, but I could really could use your help,” the elf explained.

“What do you need?” Fenris asked.

“It’s trivial… but… you are so strong, and I hoped you could help with repairing a cart.”

“Naturally.”

As it turned out, they wanted him to hold it while they replaced a wheel.

“Is Nadami home?” That was the fortunate mum, who could still enjoy her daughter’s company after they’d prevented the slavers from kidnapping her a few days ago – Deris. “Can you give her that?” She handed him a small packet, then realised both his hands were occupied with holding the cart, so she put it on a seat behind Tantar’s dumpling stall. “I hope she likes it.”

“I’ll pass it on. Thank you.”

Soon they were done with the cart. Tantar wanted to pack a few dumplings for Fenris, but he politely refused. He knew Eeyo would devour them, and the kid really needed a more varied diet. He picked up the packet for Nadami, and was just about to walk away, when two unusual customers approached the stall.

They were elves, and Fenris could tell they were both slaves. There was that hunch in their poses, that shy lowering head, that lack of confidence. Drawn to them, he went closer. Their clothes were clean, modest and simple, and both shared something that was in contrast with the simplicity of their garments: an elaborate crest crocheted on the left side of their chests.

“What does it mean?” he asked the woman. She was very young, for sure in her early twenties.

She looked at him, but almost immediately averted her eyes. “It’s our master’s symbol,” she replied quietly.

“Why do you have it?” Danarius had never marked him… Well, beside the obvious.

“She said it was to tell everybody we belonged to her, so that no one would steal us,” she explained.

Fenris never thought about it, but for all he knew his markings could serve a similar purpose, too. Everybody knew Danarius had a bodyguard with lyrium carved into his skin.

He watched her choose buns. “My master likes them,” she told him, still not looking at him. “I can’t cook them this good, so I come here to get them for her. Then she’s happy.”

He could easily fill in the blanks: the elf had tried to make them, they hadn’t been right, her master had been unhappy, the girl’s bruises had taken weeks to heal. His heart ached as he observed them both: mere shadows of people, too scared to take deep breaths, to speak louder than just above a whisper. They were almost half-transparent… or wanted to be. He wasn’t aware he was squeezing the packet in his hands so hard that his fingers punched holes in the wrapping paper.

“What’s your master’s name?” he asked.

She hesitated, but eventually very quietly said, “Alavia.”

Alavia. Zevran’s mark. They belonged to Zevran’s mark!

A moment later both slaves headed away with their bags filled with freshly made, still warm steamed buns. Fenris watched them walk, then disappear in the distance. The epitome of a slave: the will destroyed so effectively that their master let them out alone, knowing very well it wouldn’t even occur to them to run. He remembered being like that. He remembered that hopelessness, absence of hope, of dreams, of life.

He couldn’t take it any longer, he needed to… needed to…

He quickly walked to the communal garden to get away from the busy, crowded street, absent-mindedly grabbed a piece of wood that lay on the ground, and started smashing everything around him, screaming with rage.

 

**2**

 

The noise drew Nadami’s attention immediately. Her first thought was another attack, so she ran toward it, hoping there would be a chance to grab her weapon from Taeras’s house.

As she neared home, she saw a crowd gathering in the entrance to the communal garden. She pushed through the people to see Fenris rampaging in blind fury in faint mist of lyrium with his markings glowing brightly. She tried to run to him, but Cassia held her arm.

“Don’t! He looks dangerous. He’s so angry.”

“I’ll be fine,” Nadami replied. “He’s not angry, he’s in pain.”

The elf let her go reluctantly, and the Crow quickly went to her friend. She moved into his field of vision to make sure she wouldn’t fall victim to the wide swipes of a wooden stick he held. He froze for a second, then rushed to her. She heard the crowd collectively gasp in horror, but Fenris dropped his stick on the way, and rammed into her arms, curling up to hide his face in her shoulder and holding her so tightly she wasn’t sure he wasn’t hurting himself by pressing her so hard to his sensitive skin. His glow faded, but his shivering didn’t stop for quite a while.

After a moment the crowd dissipated, and only Zevran and Taeras stayed. Nadami hadn’t even noticed when the Antivan had arrived.

Fenris seemed to calm down a little bit. He moved away and turned away from her. She followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. He shook it off, and tried to turn his face away. But she noticed. Tears shone in his eyes. Gently holding his arm to let him know she wouldn’t let him avoid her, she stood in front of him, then took his face in her hands. He looked at her, blinked and a tear rolled down his cheek. She had no idea how to make his pain go away, or what to say to make him feel better.

“I love you.” That was all she could think of. Was this enough, though?

He hugged her. She felt a third hand, and looked to see it was Zevran.

“Fenfen,” he began quietly, “if it’s too much, if it’s too painful, maybe you should go back to Antiva. We can finish it.”

“No,” the tall elf shook his head. “No!”

Perhaps Zevran was right. “Maybe–” she started, but Fenris stepped back and barked, “No!”

Neither of them continued arguing.

A new crowd started gathering at the entrance. Zevran went toward them, while Nadami led Fenris to a bench. He sat hunching forward, while she crouched in front of him holding his hands. He stared at his feet, face hidden behind his hair.

“Do you want to be left alone?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“Do you want me to stop touching you?”

He shook his head again.

She gently rubbed his palms, trying to offer as much comfort, as she could. She glanced toward the crowd, which was growing louder.

The troublemaker was back. This time with convenient ammunition: she yelled that Fenris was a threat, that he had just destroyed the communal garden for no reason, that he was ‘surely’ capable of murder of innocents in his blind rage fit. She tried to walk closer to Fenris and Nadami, but Zevran blocked her way each time, and she clearly didn’t intend to get into a pushing fight with him.

Some people murmured support of her arguments, until someone pushed through them, and then slapped the troublemaker. It was Deria.

“… your stupid garden!” she was yelling back at the woman. Nadami couldn’t make out all words. “Garden grows back! … pick up all by myself, if I have… my daughter, you bitch!”

Fenris raised his head to look at the crowd. Then he looked at the garden. The front of the low fence was gone, ripped out of its place, and some of the fruit bushes had broken branches. He rubbed his forehead with his hand, mumbling curses in Tevene under his breath.

Nadami knew he was embarrassed he’d lost it again. Even more so, because there were so many witnesses. His control was so weak recently, and she hated that she couldn’t help him.

Suddenly he jumped up, and looked around in panic. The crowd seemed to gasp, and the aggressive woman started yelling again, but Fen’s attention was around him on the ground. Nadami watched him, wondering what was going on. After a moment he picked something up that had been covered by leaves, returned to the bench, sat, and handed her the object.

“It’s a gift from Deria. I… dropped it.”

Nadami took the packet. There were holes in the paper, so she could see there was fabric inside. The paper was also wrinkled, like it had been squeezed. She ripped it open, and took a lovely, light top out. She straightened it, and put in front of her chest. The perfect size!

“You’ll look beautiful in it,” he said, smiling.

She couldn’t wait to wear it.

He looked toward the crowd, and watched them for a moment. Then he rose from the bench, and went to them. Nadami followed him.

Very tall, very frowny, undoubtedly looking incredibly intimidating to anyone who had a reason to fear him; his approach silenced the troublemaker.

“Do you want me to leave?” he growled at her. Nadami knew that tone; she loved Fen’s voice but when he sounded like that one didn’t feel like crossing him.

“Yes!” she replied. She crossed her arms on her chest, and tried to look defiant, but she clearly feared him.

“If he goes, we all go,” Zevran warned.

“Good!”

“No, wait, what?” someone in the crowd said.

“Fine,” Fenris growled louder, making a step toward the woman. She stepped back. “Come to a consensus. Agree on something as a community. If you want us to leave, we leave.”

With that, he headed outside toward the street, while the crowd opened a passage for him. Nadami and Zevran looked at him, then followed. She wondered if Fenris bluffed. Or perhaps counted on the community to want them to stay. Or maybe he had enough of that bitch’s attacks and wanted to be done with it.

Fenris went home, and the other two followed him inside. Eeyo looked at Fenris, but didn’t say or ask anything. Just watched him for a moment, then returned to his task – carving patterns on a doll’s arms.

“I don’t know if it’s any useful,” the Tevinter said, “but I just met two slaves of our target.”

That drew Zevran’s attention. “Where?”

“Right here. I don’t know how often they come, but they buy buns for their… master,” he almost spat the last word. “We could ask Tantar if he remembers them.”

The Antivan tapped his chin. “This could be useful, this could be very useful…”

Taeras entered. “Fenris… no, actually all of you. Could you please come outside?”

The three looked at each other, and followed him with Eeyo at their heels.

Tantar and Deria stood in front of a group of people. The noisy hostile woman was gone.

“We are very sorry,” Tantar said. “I hope she didn’t upset you too much, and you agree to stay. If she bothers you again, we’ll deal with it.”

“I’m sorry about the garden,” Fenris said quietly.

A male elf waved his hand. “Eeeey, don’t worry about it. Can be fixed, yah?”

Things seemed to return to normal, but Fenris still felt uneasy. He couldn’t tell what was the cause: meeting the slaves, the destruction of the garden, the argument afterwards, or just the fact that his self-control was so weak. He couldn’t believe how feeble he’d become recently. He hated being like that.

Eeyo took his carving stuff, and went outside to work on another toy. Nadami and Cassia went somewhere with girly matters.

Alone at home, Fenris sat on the bed and reached for his book. He didn’t get far with his reading, though, because Zevran knelt sitting on his heels in front of him. At first he just intensively stared at the Tevinter, than – when mostly ignored by the reading elf – he waved his arms vigorously.

“Yes?”

“Is this interesting?” Zev asked, eyeing the book.

“It has its moments.”

The Antivan took the book out of his hands and frowned. Clearly, he hadn’t expected it to be in Tevene.

Then he started reading out loud. At first Fenris wasn’t even aware of that, because most of the pronounced words were gibberish, but Zevran went on. He stood up, and started gesturing like he were telling a great story, but his moves were in complete dissonance with whatever Fenris could understand from butchered words.

“You don’t read Tevene!” Fenris chuckled, trying to get the book back. “You _can’t_ read Tevene!”

But Zevran moved further away beyond his reach, not making a break in his reading.

“My ears hurt!” the Tevinter protested.

The Antivan started walking around the room, making moves that could be an illustration to a story, if there was a story. His guessing of how to pronounce words was sometimes so much off the mark that Fenris wasn’t sure Zevran even followed all words without skipping some or maybe he even omitted entire lines.

The moment Zev started making voices for dialogues, Fenris couldn’t take it any longer. He started laughing. That seemed to fuel the other elf, who only put more effort into his performance.

“Stop!” Fenris called. Terrible reading combined with a thick Antivan accent made for a hilarious effect.

Zevran eyed him. “Make me,” he challenged before returning to butchering Fenris’s language.

The Tevinter stood up, and moved toward him, but Zevran danced away to hide on the other side of the table. Fenris followed, only to see the other elf avoid him again.

“I’ll catch you!” Fenris said, growling, but smiling at the same time.

Zevran gave him a naughty look. “I sincerely hope so!” Then he raised one arm, holding the book in the other, and kept reading, making silly gestures.

Fenris slowly went around the table, willing to play this childish game, while Zevran stepped backwards, reading and simultaneously keeping an eye on him. Walking backwards, he tripped over the bed, and landed on his back. Fen didn’t waste a moment; he quickly ran to him, leant over him, pinned him down, and took the book out of his hand.

Too late he realised that Zevran was not protecting the book any more. His fingers wrapped around Fen’s neck. He gently pulled him closer, and looked into his eyes. Still smiling – which somehow always included his eyes, not just lips – he studied the other elf’s face.

“We’ll get through this, yes?” he said quietly.

Fenris smiled at him. “Yes. I’ve been through worse.”

“Now you’re not alone.”

“No, I’m not.”

They kissed. Then the Tevinter laid down next to Zevran, and they both stayed like that, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the ceiling. Fenris felt the Antivan’s fingers on his hand. They slid into his palm, and interlocked with his fingers. He gently squeezed Zevran’s hand.

“Zevran,” Fenris whispered.

“Yes.” It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t a ‘what do you want?’. It was a statement. A firm confirmation. It’s was “I’m here’, or perhaps even “I’m here with and for you’.

“Zev…”

“Yes.”

The Tevinger chuckled quietly.

“Yes.”

He chucked louder. Each ‘yes’ was said with more conviction and force than the previous one.

“Pff…” he tested.

“Yes!”

He laughed out loud. He lent on his elbow to look at the Antivan. Blond hair crowned his tanned face like rays of sun. For a moment, Fenris studied his face. He traced the wavy tattoos with his finger, then slid it drawing a line down Zev’s jaw.

“Yes?” This time it was a question. A soft murmur that felt like a pillow he’d like to nestle his face into.

“Yes,” Fenris replied. He laid back down, but this time he placed his head on Zevran’s chest. He felt the Antivan rub his back. “Definitely yes.”

A giggle bubbled in Zev’s chest. Then he moved a bit to prop himself on pillows. He pulled Fenris close, handed him his book, and the Tevinter returned to his reading nestled between Zevran’s protective, muscular arms.

Fenris realised he felt better. Much, much better.


	9. Unprofessional

**1**

 

Nadami enjoyed doing groceries. She’d grown up in a middle of a forest in a family that had to be almost self-sufficient, so living in a regular home with regular need to buy food wasn’t something she was used to. It felt like an adventure, not a chore, and she gladly helped her hosts with that task.

She carried two bags full of delicious stuff back home, snacking on an apple, when she saw something quite unexpected. She was passing by the chantry, when the doors opened, a few people left it. Among them, mostly short elves, she saw Fenris’s white mop of hair. He was easily noticeable due to his height. He spotted her, and abruptly stopped. She continued on her way, biting into the juicy apple.

“Dumplings?” Eeyo asked her, when she approached the house. He was outside, carving patterns on a toy horse.

“Good morning to you too!”

“Dumplings?”

“No, Nadami. The name’s Nadami.”

“Dumplings?”

They both laughed. He returned to his work, and she went inside. She threw vegetables into a big bowl, poured water inside, and started cleaning them.

“You probably have questions.”

Nadami turned to look at Fenris. “Questions about what?” she asked, resuming her task.

“About what you saw.”

She looked at him with a smile. “No, Fenfen, I know why people go to a chantry.” Then her gaze intensified. He avoided looking into her yes, and played nervously with his fingers. “Why are you embarrassed by this?” she asked.

“No, I… it’s just that…” He blushed slightly.

She leant toward him, and whispered, “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“It’s not…” he began, but then sighed with resignation, “Never mind.” He walked away.

She watched him go outside, wondering what was that all about. She never took him for a devoted Andrastian, and she never saw him pray, but she didn’t understand why he’d have an issue with her seeing him. A reason of going to a chantry is always obvious. And he definitely didn’t owe her any explanation why he suddenly felt to do that. Besides, she could easily imagine. Return to Tevinter was hard on him, and brought a lot more demons than any of them expected.

She finished with the veggies, placed them in a clean bowl to dry, and went to pour dirty water out.

As she emptied the bowl into a gutter, she saw Fenris, Eeyo, and several local kids practising Fen’s warrior forms. In the last few days more and more young boys and girls started to come and first mimic them to soon openly join. She watched them for a short while, then returned back home.

She found Zevran inside.

“Everything going well?” she asked him.

He’d gone to check if there were any messages from Antiva for him. “It would seem so, yes,” he said, sitting at the table, and spreading a few rolls of paper in front of him. “Rafa has another possible contract on a Tevinter mage. A small pawn this time,” he said, tapping one of them. “There is also a letter for you from Turo.”

“Really?”

“Apparently, he asked Rafa to pass it on. Don’t you want it?”

“It’s not that,” she said, wiping her hands dry, and taking the roll Zevran was handing her. “I’m just surprised.”

“Uncle’s love!”

She smiled, and also sat at the table. “Still not sure how much love there’s there.”

“Well, there is plenty here, yes?” He sent her a kiss through the air.

She squinted at him, then unrolled her letter.

There wasn’t much there. He’d asked how she was, hoped she’d write back, and reminded her to take care of herself. Also offered help, if needed, although she still wasn’t sure it would be a family favour or a business transaction. Since Zevran had bought her out of the Cabrero House, anything she’d want could be treated as two cells co-operation, not an internal or a family matter, and Zev had made it very clear: he didn’t want to have any favour debts.

But it wouldn’t harm to reply, and assure her uncle she was fine, even if weather was much too hot.

“Hmmm,” Zevran frowned over one of letters.

“What is it?”

He only shook his head, dismissing her question. She didn’t press. He’d either eventually share it, or it wasn’t important enough. Or he needed to keep a secret. None of these options bothered her.

Thin screams outside made them both run to a window, but it was only the children. Fenris’s students were running around, spraying each other with water, and laughing shrinkingly in their thin voices.

“We’re getting jumpy,” Zevran noted, unamused.

“Eeyo seems comfortable,” she replied.

She thought that this was what his life should be now: playing with other kids, carving toys, spending days on reading and being taught things. Not hanging out with two professional assassins (as strange as it was, she was one now too), and an angsty former slave.

“You ever think about having them?” Zevran asked.

She wanted to ask ‘having whom’, but she realised he was looking at the playing children.

“Do you?” she asked back, not having an immediate answer.

For a moment, he kept watching them, then without a word he returned to the table. Maybe he also didn’t have an answer.

But she pondered hers. What would it be like? She had no idea what kind of father Fenris would be like. Right now he seemed to… tolerate, for lack of a better word, all the young students that gathered around him, but that wasn’t really a reflection of raising one’s own baby. Zevran? That was easy. He’d be his kid’s best friend, and probably less mature than the little one. She’d have two babies. And the bigger one would be very hard to punish by spanking, because he would enjoy it!

While the children played loudly outside, Fenris came in. Nadami wasn’t sure he was hiding from them, or just needed some shadow after their practice in the heat. He grabbed a cup of water, and sat on the bed, sipping on it. Zevran took one of his messages, and joined the other elf. Nadami sat at the table with hopes to start a reply to Turo. She had no idea what to write him.

Fenris’s loud laughter made her look up from the paper at her elves. Zevran had that ‘I’m scheming’ smirk on his face. She watched them talk, although she couldn’t hear what they were saying. The Antivan constantly made remarks that made Fen giggle, and she could see from Zev’s expression – when Fenris wasn’t looking at him – that that was exactly the point.

She loved Fenris’s smiles. They brightened his face in a way nothing else did. His green eyes shone, and the permanent frown dissolved for a moment, giving him more serene, delicate look. Not many had the privilege to see him like that. Those were private moments he allowed only close to him people into, and others had other expressions presented to them. Polite, but not showing any vulnerability.

The Tevinter laughed again, leaning forward and hiding his face behind his hair. He wasn’t looking at Zevran, and Zevran… he had his own serene expression, also not for public view, but he seemed to hide his from everyone. You could only see it, if he thought you weren’t looking. It was ‘I’m not a shallow hedonist’ look that he carefully and quite skilfully hid from people. He now watched Fenris with a sweet, tiny smile, listening to his giggles. His big eyes were full of affection for the other elf, and clearly seeing the other one happy was making him happy, too.

Zevran glanced at her, and she thought he’d try to mask his feelings now that he’d seen they were watched. But no, he smiled at her; his eyes narrowed slightly, making the wrinkles around them deeper. He knew he’d been caught, and for a short second he didn’t mind, but then he did with his tongue something so inappropriate that it made her cover her face with her hands. She only heard his loud triumphant laughter.

 

**2**

 

After midday meal Fenris took a book and decided to read outside. The weather was pleasant; fluffy clouds softened the glare of sun, while a cool breeze brought relief. He went to the communal garden to find Nadami sitting on the bench with her face toward the sky. Her eyes were closed, and there was a small smile on her lips. Apparently, she agreed about the weather, and enjoyed it to its full extent. He noted she also wore the top she’d been gifted not long ago. Her slim figure looked lovely in the soft, colourful fabric.

He sat next to her. She didn’t open her eyes to see who it was. He wondered if she somehow knew.

He opened his book.

“Whatcha readin’?” she asked.

“It’s a collection of stories.”

“Any good?”

“Eh…” Some were, but many were pure mage propaganda he didn’t care for. “How did you know it was me?”

She smiled, still not opening her eyes. “You smell differently than… everybody. I think it’s the lyrium.”

“Oh, that.” He remembered her mentioning it before. After hesitation he said quietly, “I prayed for strength.”

She lowered her head and opened her eyes to look at him. “Strength?” She didn’t ask what he was talking about; she understood it was about his trip to the chantry.

“I’m such a mess. Just look at this garden.”

She eyed the plants and the empty space where the fence used to be. “I don’t know… I think someone with a lot of strength did that.”

He snorted, amused. “You know it’s not what I mean.”

Of course she knew. She gave him that warm, loving, understanding smile. “Fenfen, it’s obvious being in this place is hard on you. It brings the worst memories you have. That has to be difficult. I think you’re dealing with it very bravely.”

“Bravely?”

“A lesser man would just turn on his heel and leave. You don’t.”

They sat in silence for a while. She watched him for a moment, then placed a kiss on his neck under his ear between his marks, then on the tip of his ear, and then closed her eyes and raised her face toward the sky again with a quiet blissful sigh.

He looked at her freckles, long eyelashes, little flattish nose… There was something about her that always pulled at his heart strings. Like she could feel exactly what he felt. He sometimes wondered if she was secretly a mage who could read minds and feelings. Zevran could always cheer him up with his silliness, but she… she knew a secret of making him comfortable. He couldn’t understand how he coped with himself before she came into his life.

He slid closer to her on he bench, and put one hand on her cheek, wrapping the other one around her waist. She glanced at him, and he looked deeply into her eyes.

“I love you so much, Nadami,” he murmured sweetly. She blinked, and her eyes filled with tears. She blinked again, pushing them out. Confused, he watched them rolling down her freckled cheeks. “Dami?” he asked quietly with worry. What had he done? Why was she crying?

“You didn’t… ever…” The words were half eaten by her silent sobbing. “Say that… before. No one ever… have said that before… to me…”

He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Cheer her up? Say it again? Instead of words, he kissed her. Pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss. She didn’t resist. When their lips parted, she nestled her face in the nook of his neck, and pressed her body closer to his. He kissed her head.

“I maybe don’t say it,” he said, “but don’t forget this is what I feel. All the time. Every day.”

“I love you so so so so so much!” she mumbled into his neck.

He leant back on the wall behind him, but kept her close to his chest. They sat like that for a moment, until he heard someone clearing her throat. They both looked up to see an elf with a brand new fence in her hand.

“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to put it in.”

“Do you need help?” Fenris asked.

“No, no, that’s all right,” she smiled sincerely. “I’d rather do it by myself. You two go on cuddling.”

Nadami giggled, but didn’t move. Fenris rubbed her back, and only then she glued herself back to him. With her wrapped around the left side of his body, he picked his book up with his right hand, managed to open it, and continued his reading.

 

**3**

 

“She’s here! Again!” Cassia ran into the house, excited.

“Who?” Zevran asked her.

“Really? This soon?” Taeras was surprised by the news.

“She’s… she’s a mage who sometimes visits us,” Cassia finally answered Zevran’s question. Nadami saw Fenris bristle at the word ‘mage’. His ears almost appeared to perk up to hear better. “She comes with toys and sweets for children.”

“She never asks, but we suspect she knows what’s going on, and tries to cheer us up.”

“Doubtful,” Fenris grumbled.

“No, no, she’s not like that,” Cassia protested. “She’s really nice.”

Curious, Nadami left the house and looked around. It wasn’t hard to guess where the mage was. Some people, and a lot of them children, headed for the same direction. Clearly, the young ones knew about the treats that awaited them.

“This stinks, no?” Zevran said, standing next to her.

“Like a rotten darkspawn.”

“You don’t know what darkspawn smells like.”

“You do. You fought them. Am I wrong?”

He cackled. “No, you aren’t, mi amora. The stench of their blood stayed on my armour for days! Ick!” He frowned. “Go and check it. Eeyo and I will keep an eye.” He giggled. “I’m a poet now!”

She smiled at his silly, barely funny joke. His laughter was funnier than his words.

He returned to the house, and she went to see the mage, as instructed. Zevran’s words had that ‘boss to assassin’ vibe, so she knew it wasn’t exactly a suggestion. Not that it mattered; she wanted to see what was going on anyway.

She followed the crowd. First she saw two men who clearly did not belong. Bodyguards. One human, one elf. She wondered if they were hired, or like Fenris: had no choice. Then she saw her, giving children small colourful packets.

She was beautiful. Her brown hair shone in the sun, and her bright blue dress was the most elegant thing Nadami had seen in her entire life. Children weren’t afraid at all, and she even knew some of their names. Each got sweets, and then ran back to their parents. As the crowd thinned, the Fereldan’s presence was more obvious, and finally drew the mage’s attention.

“You don’t look like you belong here,” she said.

“Why? Am I too tall?”

The woman laughed, as if it was the best joke she heard in a year. “That also, but… you have confidence elves don’t. You don’t live in fear.”

“They don’t seem scared,” Nadami replied, looking around the kids.

“They have no reason to be. They like gifts, and I bring them.”

“Why?”

For a moment, the mage watched her carefully. “Is it so hard to believe that someone simply wants to share?”

The Crow squinted her eyes. “Yes.”

“A cruel world you come from, my dear.”

The mage was friendly, open, and pleasant, and yet… there was something about her that grated on Nadami. The longer they talked, the more she hated that woman.

“The world is cruel everywhere. One has to make of it what one can,” Nadami said coldly.

The mage’s blue eyes turned icy. She approached the Crow closer. “Why do I have the feeling you’re the cause of my trouble,” she said. Her voice was still pleasant and polite enough, but it gained a threatening note.

“This is my hunting ground now,” Nadami hoped her voice sounded as challenging and cocky as she intended. Suspicions formed in her mind, and she was going to verify whether her guess was correct.

“Is that so?” the woman asked very quietly.

“That is so. I assume those wimps were your men? They were in my way. My team proved to be stronger.”

“You… complicated my plans. You killed all my men.” The mage leant over a little boy to give him a new toy. The boy ran toward his mother with his present, and they both left. “We don’t need to compete.”

“Oh?”

“Are you services exclusive? To your current employer, I mean.”

“No, not really… but… I don’t think there is enough here to serve two… um… employers. I’d have to…” She pretended to ponder the possible proposal.

“Is your order the usual? Strong, young up to middle-aged? Capable of work?” Nadami didn’t confirm or deny. She didn’t want to appear too eager to answer questions or to fall into a trap of testing her knowledge. The mage continued, “My interest is elsewhere. I don’t need many. I have very specific requirements.”

Nadami raised her left eyebrow. “Let’s hear them.”

“First, I want young ones. Your employer surely doesn’t have much use for those. He’d have to feed them until they grow up. They can’t work. Get me the young ones. Too young to work. You can take anyone above fifteen. Is that fair?”

“A fourteen-year-old not only can work, but can also be trained and groomed to a particular purpose in the meantime. How about ten?”

“I don’t need many. Two, three every few months.”

“Hmm, I can sacrifice for you some toddlers. Anything below ten years old would need too long to groom anyway.”

“I’d rather you brought me older ones. Up to fifteen.”

“Why? They’re hardly kids. More like young adults.”

“Still young enough, and bigger in size. More blood inside.”

Nadami hoped her face didn’t betray her true feelings at that revelation. This vile creature kidnapped children not to enslave them, but to use them in her rituals. This whole conversation was making Nadami nauseated, but now it reached the point where she had trouble not vomiting her last meal all over that elegant, beautiful woman’s shoes. She put her hand to her forehead, pretending to consider the idea, and hoping the gesture would hide any contempt and disgust she felt right now.

“Any more requirements they have to meet?” she asked eventually.

She didn’t really pay attention to what the mage was saying at this point. She just nodded once in a while, wondering how much such a specific task would cost.

“Do we have a deal?” the mage asked, smiling sweetly at her.

“I never say no to a good coin,” Nadami replied, and extended her hand to seal the deal.

The mage extended hers to grasp her elbow. Nadami grabbed her tightly, pulled in closer, and quickly stabbed the side of her neck with her other hand. She counted on death coming fast enough for the mage not to summon any demons or any other magic to cause damage.

“Today you are sacrificed in the ritual of elven safety,” she hissed in the mage’s surprised and shocked face.

The woman slid to her knees, holding her neck around the knife still sticking from there, then to the ground to finally collapse in a growing pool of her own blood. The Fereldan watched the light going off in her dying eyes.

Nadami looked up at the bodyguards. The elf was already dead with an arrow in his chest, while the human was running away. Two arrows followed him, but both missed.

“What have you done!” she heard Cassia’s voice behind her. “What have you done!” The elf grabbed her arm and shook her. “She was good to us! She protected us!”

Nadami looked at her with a blank expression. “Your son is not a slave,” she said quietly.

“What? How do you know? What does it even mean?” Cassia’s voice became a high pitch. “You doomed us, you stupid _shem_!”

Fenris approached them, and stood next to Nadami, looking at the body on the ground. His face was twisted in contempt. He spat at the mage.

The Crow looked at him. “She kidnapped children. Kidnapped them.” Cassia stopped lamenting and cursing, and gave her a bewildered look. “Kidnap!”

“What for!” the female elf asked.

“Blood magic rituals,” Nadami answered. Fenris spat a juicy swear word in Tevene after hearing that. “Damn blood magic rituals!”

She turned and walked away. She passed by Zevran, who stood with his arms crossed on his chest, a deep frown on his face, and pouting his lips with annoyance.

“Dami,” she heard Fenris’s voice behind her.

She turned to him. “I know… I know this is going to have consequences,” she said in a shaking voice, pointing at the corpse. “I know that! But I couldn’t do anything else, okay? I just couldn’t…” Her voice broke, as tears filled her eyes. “Couldn’t let her walk away, not after what she’s done.”

He took her face in his hands and looked deeply in the eyes. “I understand. She deserved nothing else,” he murmured softly.

“She… she… she…” Nadami couldn’t get rid of pictures of gutted children her imagination was creating in her mind. “She just… Can’t you imagine that?”

“I don’t have to,” the Tevinter said grimly. “I have _seen_ that.”

“She… How…” Nadami cried now, furious and raging.

Fenris just pulled her to him in a tight hug. She buried her face in his chest, swallowing her tears.

 

**4**

 

Zevran was furious. Nadami had complicated the matter with the unplanned murder, and the consequences of that could be disastrous. He’d called Eeyo to help him dispose of the body. He noted no one volunteered to help them. The community was not happy about the events. He wondered if it’d change once they learnt their benevolent gift-giver was in fact the doom of their kids, but he was certain the damage had been done, and could not be completely undone.

But what annoyed him most was Nadami. She had lost it, and that was no good. He shouldn’t be surprised, she was always ‘feel first, do stupid next’, but she was a Crow now, and that meant something. That meant ‘don’t screw up’. That meant ‘keep it together’. That meant ‘don’t go around murdering random people’, even if some deserved it.

Not that he wasn’t as appalled by the mage’s practices as Nadami or Fenris were, but sometimes one couldn’t act purely on their will.

He was mostly worried about the escaped bodyguard and a possible retaliation. Nadami had put everyone in the neighbourhood in grave danger, and Zevran had no idea what they were going to do now. A witness left alive, and who knows what could happen now.

He and Eeyo returned to Taeras and Cassia’s home.

The Fereldan and the Tevinter seemed to be arguing.

“We need to help them,” Nadami said in a firm voice.

“And do what!” Fenris barked in reply. “Stay here forever? Chase away every slaver group?”

“You could teach us to fight, to defend ourselves!” Taeras said.

Fenris only snorted.

She considered something for a while, then looked at Zevran, who stood nearby with his arms crossed on his chest, observing the aftermath with a frown.

“Zev, I’d ask Turo for help.” The Antivan turned to face her, and his frown deepened. “As his niece, not as Arainai. I’d make it very clear you don’t owe him anything. A family favour.”

“Ask what exactly?” He didn’t like where it was going.

“To send an elf or two. To teach these people to fight. Elves would easily blend in, and also have skills other elves need. He could also have people in place, if any contract in Tevinter pops.” He wasn’t convinced, so she continued. “There’s a good chance to he refuses, but I have nothing to lose by asking.”

He shrugged. “Have it your way.”

She smiled at him thankfully, but this time it wasn’t going to melt his heart. He glared at her, so her smile turned into apologetic. Then she pressed her lips together, turning them into a thin line. She knew she’d messed up big deal, and he was really cross with her.


	10. Unwilling Legend

**1**

 

They walked slowly, and Nadami knew it wasn’t because they were tired. They were upset. And she was the reason.

After the blood mage murder, most of the community wanted them out. Taeras and Cassia weren’t among them, but weren’t going to go against the wishes of the others either. They’d helped them smuggle their weapons out of the city, and now the trio was back on a dusty road away from Minrathous.

Nadami looked at Zevran in front of the group. He hadn’t spoken to her since they’d left the city. She knew she had screwed up, and complicated his plans in the result. Further away from the Crow mark, with smaller chances of getting to her any time soon.

Fenris was harder to read. She was certain he wasn’t happy about sleeping in tents and walking on dusty countryside paths, but at least he understood why she’d done what she’d done.

She sped up to catch up with Zevran.

“Zevi…” she began quietly.

“Si, mi amora?” His tone was cheerful and happy, as usual.

“I’m so sorry.”

“You cost me a whole house, you little naughty Crow!” he said. “And you know what?”

‘A waste of a house?’ she wondered. She probably was. Not a great Crow. More of a great idiot.

“What?” she asked.

His eyes shone. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

She was relieved he wasn’t cross with her any more. “How do you do this?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Don’t hold grudges?”

“Who could hold a grudge against so many freckles!” he laughed.

In spite of her mood – filled with guilt – she giggled. “Do you have a plan how to fix what I messed up?” she asked.

“Not yet.”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re taking that other mark down.”

“The mage?” She vaguely recalled his mentioning a possible contract.

Zevran nodded. “Need to keep busy, yes?”

“I’ll be a good girl this time,” she promised.

He smirked and winked at her. “I hope not!”

“Professionally, I mean.”

He gave her a look that clearly said ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’.

They walked. She felt slight relief to see Zevran wasn’t upset any longer, but her guilt was not gone. Maybe she was a Crow now, but clearly she lacked their training. She wondered if she’d been taught to be one since early childhood, she’d be more like Zevran. More composed when necessary. Less prone to emotional stupidity. Or maybe she just simply wouldn’t survive to adulthood.

A heavy sigh left her chest before she could stiff it. Zevran didn’t look at her, so she hoped he hadn’t heard it, but a moment later she felt his hand taking hers, and squeezing gently.

“Are we headed west?” Fenris asked behind them.

“We are,” the Antivan replied.

“I know of a place where we could stop for the night. Not far from here.”

“Sounds good. Safe?”

“Should be. It’s – or perhaps used to be – a stop for runaways. Sheltered. Secluded. Easy to defend.”

“Perfect. We need to regroup and discuss matters.” Zevran glanced at Nadami. “Maybe some spanking involved.”

She smiled. Still feeling guilty, still feeling like she should be scolded more, and still not wanting anyone be upset with her, but couldn’t resist the Antivan’s charms.

“Just a warning,” Fenris added. “If it’s still used, it could be occupied.”

“One runaway would kick out another?” Eeyo asked with disbelief in his voice.

“You have no idea how terrified one can be in such a situation. Survival and not getting caught first. Sometimes you are just out for yourself alone. Besides, we’re not runaways.”

“We will worry about that if we have that problem,” Zevran said.

 

**2**

 

They stopped for a bit to rest. Zevran felt tired. Not by walking but by everything. He wondered if he was made for this or he’d just bit off more than he could chew. Things seem to fall apart faster than he could blink, and he was dragging Fenris and Nadami with him into that mess. Maybe his place was as a disposable little pawn, and not in charge of anything.

“Zev?”

He looked up to see Eeyo munching dumplings. He’d gotten a full bag before leaving the city; Zevran was sure it’d all be gone by tomorrow.

“What can I do for you, my young friend?” he asked.

The Dalish sat next to him. “I wanted to ask… um… how do you know… how you know…” Clearly, it wasn’t something easy, but the Antivan let him take his time. “How do you know if a girl likes you?” He smiled sheepishly, almost apologetically.

“Ah!” Zevran smiled. “A serious matter!” He wondered if it was about that brown-haired girl from Minrathous.

“So how?” Eeyo insisted.

“Well, you have to watch her. To see what she does in your presence. You can tell if people like you.”

“But like like you. Fancy you like you. What if I… if I wanted to kiss a girl. How do I know she wants to be kissed?”

Zevran observed him for a short while with a gentle grin. “You can sit next to her, like this,” he pointed at them both. “Talk to her. Move closer. Slowly.” He moved his upper body slightly nearer Eeyo. The Dalish stopped munching and watched him carefully. “If she moves away, you’re done. Leave her be. If not, look into her eyes. Then on her lips.” He did as he said. “Then into her eyes again. Then very slowly lean toward her.” Zev’s nose touched Eeyo’s. “Slowly, so she has the time to move away. If she doesn’t, it’s your answer,” he said softly, as if speaking sweet nothings. Then he returned to his previous, normal position. “If she does, it’s your answer too. Let her go, don’t push, don’t make her feel guilty, even if you’re hurt. She owes you nothing,” he finished, speaking in his normal voice.

Eeyo resumed munching, then took another bite. “Do they often… move away… so to speak?”

Zevran shrugged. “Sometimes. It really depends. Sometimes they’re so into you that you are half way through to them while they grab you and hump you before you know it,” he laughed.

“Is that what Nadami did to you?” Eeyo giggled.

Zevran smiled longingly. “No, not really. We both tried to seduce each other ‘for business’ purposes. We both wanted to extract information from each other.” His thoughts went to that hot wonderful night he’d tasted her skin for the first time. “I was naked, helpless, with a blade at my throat. Not the first time I got a reminder not to think with my… other knife. She could kill me but I got lucky, again.” He grinned. “I still don’t understand how an attempt to use each other ended with lifelong friendship, but then I also almost married the woman I’d tried to kill, so you never know!” He laughed out loud.

“I guess girls like you.”

Zevran gave him a sly smile. “They do. But usually I just make them to. These two… that was a surprising side effect. They’ll like you, too. With shiny brown hair and these huge blue eyes you’re going to break many hearts.” His smile widened. “Have no mercy, my friend. They’re yours to break!”

Eeyo looked at him, and pondered something for a moment. Then finally asked, “Will you ever marry Dami?”

Zevran’s eyebrows went high. “And leave Fenris out? That wouldn’t be fair.”

“But if you all three could. Would you want to?” Eeyo pressed.

The Antivan looked over his shoulder at the other two, who sat near a small fire. “If they wished it, without hesitation.”

The Dalish’s face was brightened by that reply. “You’re all family I have now,” he said quietly. “I am always terrified when you argue. I worry someone leaves. I don’t want that.”

Zevran scratched his ear. “Dami can be very melodramatic, but don’t worry. I’d never let her leave on a whim of her hot emotions. If she really wanted to go, if her affection was no more, that’d be different. But if she’s just furious at something – and I will make her furious many many times over, I’m sure – that’s not enough to let her go.”

“How about you don’t make her furious?”

Zevran played aghast. “Me? Do you want me to ruin my reputation?”

Eeyo chuckled. Then got serious. “Zevran,” he began very quietly. “If anything… I’d stay with her.”

The Antivan wrapped his arm around the young elf’s shoulder. “A very good choice, my friend. She’s a dedicated fake-mum.”

Eeyo eyed him. “You’d have to chase us all over Thedas, you know.”

Zevran gently squeezed the Dalish’s shoulder, then leant toward him, and whispered, “It’s a lot more likely I’d ran too just not to have to do that.”

“Even if she didn’t want to be with you?”

The Antivan let go of Eeyo’s shoulder, and looked down up his boots. “I would still love her. I’ll never hurt a woman I love again.”

To his relief, the Dalish didn’t ask anything else.

Fenris approached them, putting his backpack on. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“We are!” Zevran jumped up.

Fenris, with an expression of faked mockery, handed Eeyo a small bag.

The Dalish grabbed it greedily. “My dumplings, mine!”

“And that’s why you will carry them!” the tall elf replied grumpily.

They set off to the safe spot Fenris had mentioned. Hopefully, they’d reach it by the night.

 

**3**

 

There was a fire visible in the distance.

“Is that our destination?” Nadami asked, pointing at the source of light.

“Indeed,” Fenris confirmed. “Clearly, it’s not empty right now.”

“We can still check it out, right?” Eeyo asked.

“We can,” the Tevinter nodded.

Fenris hadn’t expected the place to be still used. It had to be a well kept secret to remain safe for so many years. Well, at least well kept from slavers. He hoped the occupants wouldn’t refuse them access. It was getting late, and to his knowledge there wasn’t any other good place for a camp nearby.

Eeyo yawned wide.

The fire had been built right outside the cave. Fenris thought it was very foolish. There was a man sitting at it. As they neared, Eeyo was the first to recognise him.

“You!” he shouted. “What are you doing here!” He drew his weapon and trained an arrow at his chest.

The man rose to his feet, and stretched his arms in a defensive gesture, when he saw them drawing their weapons. “Please, please, don’t!”

“Why not!” Fenris grumbled. It was the other guard of the blood mage Nadami had killed. What was he doing here? Were his companions inside, clearing out the place and replenishing his new master’s stock?

“You saved me. I’m no threat to you.”

“Saved you?” Eeyo asked with suspicion; his arrow pointed at the man’s chest.

But Fenris understood. He put a hand on the Dalish’s and made him lower his bow. “He was her bodyguard, but it wasn’t by choice,” he explained.

The man shook his head. “No, it wasn’t,” he confirmed, sitting down. “I only wish Amaral was as lucky as I am.”

The revelation dawned on Eeyo. He put his bow away, his eyes filled with tears, and he looked at Fenris. “Did I– Did I kill an innocent slave?”

“We couldn’t have known,” Fenris told him softly.

“But I did. Didn’t I?” he looked at the human. “I…”

“You did what you needed to do, kid,” the man said. “My instinct to run was not to get hit by another arrow. Otherwise, it’d stay to fight. So would he.” He sighed. “This isn’t easy.”

“But…” Eeyo was still miserable.

Fenris gently squeezed his arm, then approached to fire. “Are you alone here?”

“No.”

“Fire outside the cave draws attention,” the elf noted.

The man gave him a bewildered look, which quickly turned into one of understanding. He stood up, and quickly extinguished everything. “I haven’t thought of that,” he admitted.

“How many inside?” Fenris asked.

“Two more.”

“Any space for four more?”

The man smiled. “Naturally.”

Once any signs of fire were completely gone, he led them inside the cave.

It was dark, damp, and hot. Fenris could easily guess why the man wanted to stay outside. Strange sounds made by all kinds of inhabiting it critters bounced off walls, echoing deep in corridors and nooks in partially covered by moss walls.

A small opening appeared in front of them. A tiny fire was built near a wall. There was a hole above, letting smoke out.

“We have some company,” the man announced them.

The other two turned out to be elven man and woman. He looked healthy and fine, but her skin was covered by bruises and small cuts. Fenris didn’t need imagination to know what had been done to her.

The male slave – former slave! the Tevinter corrected himself – looked at Fenris, heads to toes, paying special attention to his markings. “I’ve heard of those, but never saw them. They’re very rare,” he said.

“You’ve heard of those,” Fenris repeated slowly.

“Yes. They are forbidden in the Imperium now.”

“Are they?” The tall elf wondered why.

“Yes, yes, it’s because of what happened!” his female companion exclaimed.

“It’s just a story, it’s not real,” her friend chastised her.

“What story?” Nadami asked.

“They say there was an elf,” she began in spite of the other one’s protests, “who had such markings, and killed his master, and he ran away, and he’s now completely free. He lives somewhere happily.”

“It’s just a story,” the other elf said. “Don’t put much faith in it,” he told the visitors. “It’s also forbidden to share it!” He gave his friend a stern look.

“If it’s a complete lie, then why they’re not allowed to give the markings to any slave any more? That slave could kill his master, because he became immune to magic and run away, because he had them! They also don’t want anyone to know, that’s why the story is forbidden. They don’t want that to happen again! That’s why!” she insisted. “Or to give anyone, who already has them, any ideas. That’s why!”

Fenris couldn’t believe his ears. While the story wasn’t exact, and not fully truthful on the little details is contained, it certainly was _his_ story. The chances of another elf having such a similar fate to his sounded too improbable. He felt Nadami’s warm fingers gently squeezing his hand.

“Do you mind if we stay here for the night?” Zevran asked them.

The two looked at each other uncertain, but the former bodyguard said, “They can fight. They could protect us.”

Both elves nodded their agreement. “It’s fine. We don’t have much food to share.”

“We have dumplings,” Eeyo said, stretching his hand with the bag of his favourite food. “Enough for all.”

They settled in, and when everything finally quieted down, Fenris had more time to ponder what he’d heard from the two runaways.

Somehow, they told stories about his escape. About his markings. About him. He couldn’t fathom how this could even become such common knowledge, let alone why repeated… or forbidden.

“Hello, my beautiful walking legend,” Nadami said, sitting down next to him.

“Stop,” the grumbled.

“Fenris, we can build on it!” Nadami’s excitement grew. “We have to spread the word that the Super Elf returned to help them all, to free them all.”

He rolled his eyes. “You must be joking,” he growled. “That’d never work.”

“Fenfen, you’re a legend. And not just any legend, but one that gives hope; that’s why it’s forbidden to share it. They feel you’re a threat, and they aren’t wrong!”

“I’m sure if you heard details of that legend, it’d be nothing about me. Nothing like me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Zevran chimed in, sitting down on the other side of him. Fenris felt surrounded now. “They need hope. They need to feel it could work. They need to believe they could succeed.”

“You never gave yourself enough credit, Fenfen,” Nadami added.

“Bah!” he snorted with irritation.

“They had taught you that you were nothing, that your only value was in the amount of use of you,” Nadami said softly. “You broke a lot of chains but this one still has a hold on you.”

“Stop psychoanalysing me,” he barked.

She shrugged. “Fine. Let’s go home, back to Antiva. Let’s take a few contracts, you help us eliminate targets. Sound like fun. Glorious life of an almost-Crow.”

“You’re trying to drown me in sarcasm now?” he asked.

“Is it working?” she smirked.

He looked at her. Her narrow eyes were full of ‘I’m right and you know it.’ He looked at Zevran. His raised eyebrow stretched his tattoos, and the corner of his mouth twitched in an unexpressed smile.

“I’m no hero,” Fenris said quietly. He never asked or wanted that much responsibility. There were others to save the world, it wasn’t his job.

“Fenris…” Nadami whispered. “It’s not about what you want. It’s what Tevinter needs.”

His head jerked, as he looked at her, shocked by her words. “I’m not–” The sentence abruptly stopped, since he didn’t know what he wanted to say. ‘Saviour’?

“Hmmm…” Zevran hummed. He clearly had something on his mind.

“Are you two insane?” Fenris couldn’t believe his ears.

Nadami smiled gently. It was a lovely smile full of warmth and devotion. “No, we just know your full potential, even if you don’t yet.”

“But…” Again, the chaos in his mind denied him forming a coherent sentence. He sighed.

Nadami didn’t add any anything else. She just laid down with her head on his lap. He put his hand on her head, feeling softness of her hair. Slowly, his own head grew heavy, and before long he fell asleep.


	11. Divided

**1**

  


“I don’t want to talk about it!” Fenris was tired of the subject. Nadami and Zevran weren’t ready to give up yet, though.

They stood near the exit of the cave, waiting for rain to pass before resuming their march.

“Do you know why the Crows were so eager to catch me?” the Antivan said, looking at the grey sky. “I was a living proof that a pawn, a low-level nobody Crow could decide to bail out, and live to tell about it. They found it unacceptable. They feared more Crows had the same idea. The House of Crows could crumble, if more mistreated, expendable men and women left.” He paused. “You are a Crow for life, whether you like it or not. I violated that rule, that law, and they couldn’t let that be.” He looked at Fenris. “I could give hope to others.”

“What they need is hope, Fenris,” Nadami chimed in. “Faith that they could succeed. No doubt, they are fed stories of caught and punished slaves. Or killed. That’s why yours is forbidden.”

“Her father escaped Crows ‘justice’ for decades. It was a great success when he was finally punished for his defiance. I know, I was in the centre of it as the one who’d brought that fate to him.” As he was speaking, Zevran looked at Nadami. She smiled at him, as to show there still were no regrets or hard feelings about that. Then he looked at Fenris. “Can you imagine what would happen if I started pouching the Crows?”

“There are a lot more slaves in Tevinter than magisters,” Nadami said. “You once told me that there were attempts at uprisings, but always localised and quickly squished by united forces of the masters. But what if all slaves rebelled? All at the same time. It takes co-ordination. It also takes hope and belief it would succeed. You can do it! We kill the powerful magister, free her slaves, and all other can rise up.” Her words grew more heated with every sentence. “Those benevolent would just hear ‘we’re done with you’. Those cruel would probably meet their fate as they deserve at the hands of all whom they mistreated.”

“It is you!” a voice said behind them. They turned to see the former slave elf. “The story. It’s about you, isn’t it!”

“No, not really,” Fenris shook his head. “A little tells some of my story, but most is… inaccurate.”

“But you killed your master and ran away, right?”

“I ran away. I killed him ten years after that. He refused to let me go. To let these go.” He looked at the markings on his arms.

“My sister told me to try. I was too scared we’d fail, or get killed. But she told me to try. Because that elf succeeded, so we could, too. She convinced me to run after hearing your story!”

“It doesn’t matter how true it is, Fenris,” Nadami said. “It matters that the Super Elf who escaped is now back to help them all escape.”

“I can’t just–” Once again, words failed to form a sentence. He only stood there, shaking his head.

The elf smiled. “But you should,” he said.

“And don’t forget you’re not alone,” Nadami added.

Fenris grew frustrated at being pressed by everyone. “You are all insane,” he barked, then went back deeper into the cave. He had enough of listening to all that nonsense.

“Still raining?” Eeyo asked him.

“Yes.”

“Ugh. I like the warmth you have up here in North, but not very fond of the rains.”

Fenris, in spite of his mood, smiled. “You finished packing already?” He noticed all their belongings were not spread around any more.

The Dalish shrugged. “I thought we’d be going by now.”

“So did I.”

“Where are we going exactly?”

“Zevran didn’t explain,” Fenris said. Just now he realised the Antivan hadn’t revealed much about that contract he’d agreed to take.

“You think he wants to do it by himself?”

Was there a drop of disappointment in Eeyo’s voice? “I have no idea,” the Tevinter said. “Maybe he’s still forming a plan, so doesn’t have much to tell us.”

Soon the rain stopped, and they could set off. A brief farewell with the other escapees did nothing to qualm Fenris’s uneasiness at being treated like an icon. Especially by the girl, who looked with awe at him now. He’d never asked for this. He was no leader.

The air was fresh after the rain. Nadami seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, though. Warmth – or as she’d call it, ‘unbearable heat’ – combined with after-rain humidity weren’t merciful to her Fereldan body. Eeyo looked for something in his bag for a while, then stopped with a sigh. Fenris wondered if he’d just realised he’d ran out of dumplings.

“What is that noise?” Zevran said, suddenly stopping in place.

At first Fenris couldn’t hear anything, but they listened, not moving, and after a moment a strange cluttering sound reached his ears.

“I don’t hear anything,” Nadami said quietly.

“I did. Like… I don’t know. A mechanical thing? Opened… something?” Eeyo whispered.

The sound repeated. There was more to it, but the clutter was the loudest.

“I still hear nothing.”

Zevran looked at her, then reached under her hair, and gently rubbed her ear between his index finger and thumb. “My poor little girl with her tiny round ears.”

“Hey!” she protested, while the other two elves laughed. She tried to slap his hand away, but his fingers got entangled into her long hair, so all she achieved was pulling her own hair with his hand. She hissed in pain.

“Awwww,” Zevran frowned, moved his hand deeper into her ginger mane, put it on the back of her neck, pulled her closer, and gave a loud and wet kiss. Then gently freed his hand, making sure he wouldn’t harm her while doing so.

“So what is it that you hear?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Eeyo replied, and moved closer to the sounds. It was a bit away from their path, but Fenris was curious, too. He followed.

They walked, and the sounds got louder. Nadami’s expression changed, so apparently she could hear them now too.

“What… what is that?” Zevran, who was at the head of the group now, whispered, stopping.

There was something strange floating between trees. It was above the ground, green, and its glow was somehow stronger than even the sun’s. It wasn’t like fog, more like… liquid glass? Fenris had no idea how to describe the phenomenon, but he was certain it wasn’t natural.

“Magic!” he hissed, and looked around. This thing was ominous, and he didn’t like it. Such things usually meant a lot of trouble. He’d never seen any magic like this, but this was Tevinter: some idiot magister or apprentice could had come here to test things in seclusion, and leave this possibly failed experiment behind, not caring much about the consequences to others.

Since he was the only one not staring at the green float, he was the first one to notice moving shadows.

“ _Fasta vass_!” he cursed. “Watch out!” he shouted, already moving toward a creepy, screeching demon. He hit it with his sword, trying to avoid claws that attempted to reach him.

After a few swipes he managed to damage the blighted thing enough for it to fall apart and dissolve, but there was another one rushing towards him. That one was intercepted by Zevran, who attacked it from a side. For a few seconds Fenris watched the grace and finesse the Crow moved with, fully aware it was not the time to admire but also completely unable to deny himself that little pleasure.

The Antivan stabbed with one hand, and sliced with the other. It drew the demon’s attention, and it reached out to him, but all it got was a kick in the claws, as Zevran turned on one leg, aiming high the other. Then he bend forward, and slid under the stretched approximation of the monster’s arms, placing himself at its back. He sank both daggers at the top of its back, and sliced down. Had it been a living creature, the pain would be unbearable and incapacitating, but the demon was not done yet. It turned, smacking Zev in the face with the back of its hand. Fenris thought with relief he was lucky it wasn’t an opened palm: the claws would definitely do more harm. The Crow staggered a bit after the punch, but quickly regained his momentum, and renewed his attack. His swift, confident moves quickly dispatched of the creature. He looked around, searching for more, and his eyes landed of Fen’s face. He winked, then ran away toward another enemy, which also prompted Fenris to action.

There was one that looked like merely a green shadow, spitting goo at Fenris from distance, so he rushed toward it. As he passed by closer to the floating liquid glass phenomenon, he could feel his markings tingling in a way they had never before. It was an unbelievably unpleasant feeling; not painful but still extremely undesirable.

The shadowy demon was gone by the time Fenris made half-way to it. The arrows Eeyo had sent from his bow into its body fell to the ground, as the thing completely dissolved into nothingness.

“They’re coming from the green blob!” Nadami shouted.

Strangely, Fenris noted they also seemed to flow back into it after being shredded.

“Let’s get out of here!” he shouted over the noise the ‘blob’ made.

As more demons appeared from green pools of blobs on the ground, they withdrew. Some demons followed them, but they shared the fate with their dead – could demons be dead? – brethren.

“I know what that was,” Eeyo said, as they ran to a safer distance. They stopped, and turned to see if any creatures followed them. “It’s a Fade crack, or something like that. Demons from the Fade come through.”

“How that’s possible?” Nadami asked. “Is that cracks in the Veil, or leaks, or some such?”

“I don’t really know what that is exactly,” the Dalish looked at her, “but this Inquisition business is about closing these things.”

“You mentioned something…” Fenris vaguely recalled Eeyo noting about the Inquisitor being a Dalish.

“Yeah, well… I read some news. Not sure how much of that can be trusted.” Eeyo grinned at Fenris. “It’s Tevinter news, with a Tevinter twist, y’know.”

The tall elf perfectly understood what his young friend meant. “Ah, yes, with glory added to magical nonsense.”

“Right. So the Inquisition is something bad, and green blobs are good. The truth is probably slightly different, if demons come out of this thing.” Eeyo shrugged. “One way or another, we should stay clear of those. They’re supposedly all over South,” he added.

“Because Ferelden hasn’t been screwed by the Maker enough yet,” Nadami grumbled.

  


**2**

  


They could see the town in the distance now. Eeyo was happy to see some civilisation. He hadn’t grown up in a big city, but he definitely preferred sleeping in houses over in tents. He hoped they were going to stay somewhere in the town, instead of camping in the outskirts.

“Do you have a plan?” he asked Zevran.

“We go, we kill, we get paid.”

That probably meant ‘no’. “Y’know, I could get away with a lot as a kid,” Eeyo said.

The Antivan gave him a curious look. “You’re not a kid any more, my friend.”

“I could still pass as one, especially among humans.”

“Perhaps. But a good plan is not based on assumptions and guesses. Miscalculations end with deaths.”

“I’d be fine.”

Zevran smiled. “Don’t trust your luck too much!”

“You do!”

“And look where it got me!”

“To Fenris, and Nadami, and me.”

“Ha ha! That’s the good part!”

“Is there a bad part?”

“There always is a bad part. Don’t forget it.”

“The bad part is that I don’t have any more dumplings.”

“The horror!” Zevran shouted, throwing his arms up.

“What happened?!” Nadami’s alarmed voice reached their ears.

They both burst into laughter, so she smirked, clearly feeling fooled.

Soon – to Eeyo’s disappointment – they built a camp to stop.

“We go to the town to look around?” Nadami asked.

Zevran looked at Fenris. “I can’t help but wonder if Sera Legend should show himself much in public. It could invite trouble.”

“I can take care of myself,” the Tevinter grumbled. “I’m not made of glass.”

“We were in Minrathous, and no one made a peep. They either never heard of it, or didn’t share the forbidden,” Eeyo noted.

“I’m not staying here while you’re risking your lives,” Fenris said louder and with more force.

“Technically,” Zevran began, smirking, “This is a Crow contract. You don’t have any obligations.”

The Tevinter’s glare told him very loudly what he thought of that argument. Zev’s big grin and a wink sent a clear message that he hadn’t been serious. Fenris grunted one more time, just to drive the point in, which in turn made Eeyo laugh out loud at the whole exchange. He loved seeing them tease each other. He loved seeing them happy.

“When do we go?” he asked.

“Food first,” Nadami said, handing everybody their share. “We will also need to resupply,” she added.

“I hope they have dumplings,” Eeyo smiled.

“Ask them for a recipe, and learn to cook your own,” Fenris smirked.

“I will. After you promise me we get a real kitchen soon. I can’t cook over a fireplace.”

“At least it’s not mud food,” Zevran sent another wink to Nadami.

“Did you know that Fereldan Dalish don’t eat mud food?” Eeyo said. Then he thought it sounded nonsensically out of place to bring that up.

“They’re Dalish,” the Antivan stated as it was a revelation.

“Their smug superiority wouldn’t allow them eat humans’ mud food,” Fenris grumbled.

Eeyo squinted at him. For a moment he wanted to confront the tall elf about his words, but changed his mind. Then he realised what his feelings and reaction to them meant. He was offended. He didn’t like the Dalish being insulted. Especially not by another elf.

“They divided us so effectively,” he said quietly to no one, looking at the fire in front of him. “They hate us, and despise us, and also made us hate and despise each other.” He looked up at Fenris, who was staring at him with astonishment.

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean it that way,” the Tevinter said quietly.

“How did you mean that, then? What did you mean?” His gaze into Fenris’s eyes intensified. “What offends you about me, my mum, or Zevran’s mum so much?”

“Your conviction that you’re better than me, because you live in tents and cherish long forgotten gods.”

“The fault is at both sides,” Eeyo admitted. “But the way to continue is to abandon it, not nurture. Insulting puts the other side on the defence, and provokes more insults in response.” He paused for a moment, then said looking straight in Fenris’s eyes. “If you can’t stop yourself from hating that part of me, I would appreciate if you at least kept it to yourself.”

“Eeyo…” the Tevinter started softly, but Eeyo raised his hand.

“No,” he said. “I don’t want any ‘it’s not about you, it’s about others’ dragonpoo.”

Fenris lowered his head slightly, then said, “I meant to apologise.”

“I wish I knew how to make dumplings,” Nadami said. “I’d make you a ton each day.”

“Mmmm, dumplings…” Eeyo mumbled in w dreamy voice, and the atmosphere lost its edge, and relaxed.

  


**3**

  


Things got a little tense, and Zevran didn’t like that. Laughter was better than yelling. He slowly munched on his food.

“Are you all right?” Nadami asked. There was concern in her voice. She sat next to him.

“Yes. Why?”

“You look… I don’t know… down. Sad. You don’t do sad. You’re Zevran.”

He smiled, but even he was aware there was no humour in it. “Just… silly thoughts. Don’t worry about it.”

Concern crept out from her voice to her face. She leant to him. “Zevi, what’s going on?”

He took her face in his hands, and kissed the tip of her nose. “Nothing. Really.” Her eyes were drilling into his face. He gave up. “Something. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “A combination of little things. They… reminded me of Taliesen. Did I ever tell you he was Tevinter?”

“No, you didn’t. You never talked about him much. All I know is that he was strong, and would kill me if you didn’t stop him in the last moment.”

Zevran smiled. “But I did!”

“Did I ever thank you for that?”

“Many many times.”

She frowned. “I don’t remember.”

He grinned again. He hadn’t meant it so literally, but enjoyed looking at her concentrated face, when she was searching her memory.

She gave up, and gave him another concerned look. “Do you miss him?”

The direct question caught him off guard, especially since he hadn’t considered it himself, but now the answer was so obvious. “I try no to…” he began, but couldn’t find the right words. “He…”

She neared her face to his. “You were never good with words and feelings. You little broken Crow.”

“I’m very good with feelings, mi amora,” he pulled a face, faking offence. But then changed his tone, and softly but solemnly said, “Now, when you sit here, I have feelings.”

“Oh, we all know what kind of feelings you have,” she laughed. “Here and everywhere else, you dirty little elf!”

He felt a pinch in his heart at her reaction. Not only she didn’t understand what he meant to say, but also thought all he ever wanted was only sex.

She quickly noticed she upset him. “What? What did I say? It was only a joke.” She frowned again with another shade of worry.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Nothing that isn’t true.”

“Zev…” Again, her eyes drilled into his.

“What I meant to say… I wanted to tell you… Because we talked about…” Why was it so difficult! How to phrase it and not sound stupid and cheesy? She deserved poetry, and he couldn’t even finish a simple sentence. He could bullshit his way around every woman – when they mattered nothing. But now, when things were serious and important, it was impossible to find the right words.

She kissed him. “We’ll find a quiet place, and I’ll give you what you miss. Does that sound good?” she asked.

Oh, how much she didn’t understand! “Dami, I just… You have to know that… that I… You must know that, yes?”

She smiled sweetly. “I know, yes. And you will get it. With this setup that doesn’t allow intimacy you must be starved,” she finished, gesturing the tents around them. With that she rose, and walked away to her bag, to take some items out of it.

He felt miserable. She completely missed the point, and he was too clumsy with words to simply tell her how much he loved her. Right now he wasn’t even sure any more if she knew that. Did she think all he sought from her was physical pleasure and friendship? Did she think he loved Fenris, and just humoured her, because he knew she loved him, and Fenris was good with that? That last thought was unpleasant.

He got up, went to her, and turned her to face him. He took the knife she held, put it away, then looked her in the eyes. She was a little surprised, but waited. “I don’t need your body,” he said, which made her raise her eyebrows. “I need you,” he said quietly.

She frowned. “This sounds ominous.” He kissed her. “You want to do it here, now?” she laughed, gesturing toward Fenris and Eeyo. More Eeyo, because she knew Fenris wouldn’t be an obstacle.

“No!” He moved away frustrated with himself.

“Zevran, what’s going on with you today?” she shouted irked.

He wasn’t sure she was tired of this, worried, or growing annoyed.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, and walked away.

He returned to his place, and cleaned up after his meal. He glanced at her, but she was turned toward him with her back, so he was unable to tell what she felt.

“I’m ready!” Eeyo bounced excitedly on his heels.

Zevran looked around. “We shouldn’t leave the camp unattended.”

“I’ll stay,” Nadami said.

“Do you know this town?” The Antivan was quite certain of the answer, but wanted to double check.

Fenris only shook his head, as expected.

“Let’s go, then. You two stick together,” he told the other two elves.

On the way to the town, he explained to them what kind of information they needed, and what to pay attention to. The knew Fenris didn’t need a detailed rundown, but found it a teaching moment for Eeyo.


	12. Beauty Is In the Eye of the Loving One

**1**

  


The town teemed with life. Not as busy or crowded as Minrathous, but still a lot more packed than Redcliff on a market day. Eeyo kept close to Fenris. The memory of the attack and the attempt at kidnapping him in the capital was still fresh and still terrifying, so he didn’t want to tempt fate, even if no mage over here stole kids for their innocent blood.

They found the residence of the target mage fairly easily.

“Not very impressive, isn’t it?” Eeyo noted.

It was a big house, made of mostly stone, and surrounded by a wall. The Dalish noticed that there were a few trees growing right outside of it, which in his eyes rendered the wall’s function as a protective construction moot. He could easily climb a tree to get inside. The house itself looked unexpectedly ordinary: very few decorations, very few statues, sculptures or reliefs on its walls.

“Not all of them are powerful magisters. Some are merely mages with dreams of grandiose.”

“All die when they get an arrow in the face!”

Fenris chuckled. “I like your spirit.”

As they walked down the street, Eeyo’s eyes went to the trees and possible ways to climb up their trunks. Two had the lowest branches too high to reach them without help, and it could draw attention. He squinted at one in the back, walking almost backwards. That one was promis–

He startled, as he bumped into something. He turned to discover it was a _someone_. She had carried fruits, which now spilled all over the ground, because he’s knocked them out of her arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, crouching down to help her pick them up.

“It’s all right. Sorry,” she replied quickly.

They picked all the fruits, and he placed his in her arms, as they rose up. She smiled at him.

“It’d be more convenient with a basket,” he noted.

“I don’t go far, just here.” She pointed with her chin at the mage’s house.

He sensed an opportunity. “You live here? Wow! Nice house!”

“Oh, no, no, you misunderstand! I’m only an elf. I don’t live here. My master does.”

He looked her in the eyes. His gaze intense. “You’re not ‘only’ an elf. You’re an elf,” he said.

She blinked a little surprised, then smiled at him. “I like your tattoos.”

“Thank you,” he smiled back. “Is it all right if I help you with these?” He pointed at the fruits.

“No, no, better not.”

“What is that?” he noticed a pretty patch on her otherwise plain clothing.

“Oh, this is nothing. This is my master’s sign. It shows everyone he is my master.”

Eeyo just wanted to knock out all her fruits to the ground, then grab her hand, and take her to safety.

“Its colour enhances how pretty your eyes are,” he said instead.

She giggled, and as she laughed, it exposed her missing teeth. Self-conscious, she immediately covered her mouth with her hand. Eeyo hoped his rage at possible reasons – from malnutrition to brutal force – of this small defect didn’t show, since it could be easily misinterpreted as something else. He only smiled at her, because she was really cute.

“Oh. You probably should go. Don’t want to be late, huh?” The last thing he wanted was to get her in trouble.

She nodded, smiled again, and headed toward the house. He watched her knock on the gate. A small window opened, a face appeared in it, then the window closed and the gate was opened from the other side to let her in. Eeyo hoped to see her again.

He looked around, looking for Fenris. The other elf stood further down the road, pretending not to watch, but the Dalish was sure he’d observed them closely.

“She’s got a marking patch stitched to her clothes, like those slaves in Minrathous,” Eeyo told him.

“Hmm… Maybe that means there is some kind of connection between those mages.”

“Slaves aren’t normally marked like that?”

“Not from what I know. But slave theft could have increased in the recent years, especially if it’s difficult to get new ones.”

“They steal each other people’s slaves? Like… steal people?”

“They don’t do it themselves. Slavers do. The easiest way to get a new batch is to take it from someone else. Cheaper than bringing them, for example, across the sea from Ferelden.”

“I’m heartbroken it’s not cheap!” Eeyo said sarcastically. “So they mark them? But clothes can be replaced. Dress them differently, and no one knows better.”

“Maybe it’s a new fashion, then. A competition who has more marked slaves out in the town.”

“Fashion tip of the day,” Eeyo screeched in a mocking voice. “How to decorate your slaves this month.”

Fenris only grunted.

As they talked, a well-dressed lady left the house. She fanned herself, as she walked; her nose so high Eeyo wasn’t sure she could see where she was going. She fumbled with her belt, and Eeyo noticed a piece of paper floating behind her, and landing on the ground. She didn’t seem to notice it, so he waited to see whether she was going to return for it.

As she walked away, he ran across the street, grabbed it with great speed, hid in his sleeve, and kept running, as if nothing happened. He stopped when he could hide behind a corner of a building. He peeked to see what he’d left behind, and saw confused Fenris. The elegant lady was still playing with her belt and dress. She kept walking still unaware of her loss, and soon was out of sight.

Eeyo returned to Fenris.

The tall elf only gave him and asking look, spreading his hands in question. Only now the Dalish unfolded the paper to see what it was, and if it had any value. The Tevinter leaned over his shoulder to also take a look.

An invitation. Their mark was going to organised a party, and the elegant lady was invited.

“No name,” Fenris noted.

Indeed, there was no name on it. “What does that mean?” Eeyo asked.

“It means, you have it, you enter.”

“Hmmm...”

“Come on. This could be very useful.”

  


**2**

  


Nadami was in the middle of trimming beans for their next meal, when from the corner of her eye she saw the elves returned. They stopped on the other side of the fire, and stood there, so she finally looked up to see what was going on.

Eeyo was smiling, Fenris was semi-frowny, as usual, but Zevran… there was a smirk on Zevran’s face, and she knew that kind of smirk meant trouble.

“What?” she asked them suspiciously.

The Antivan’s smirk grew wider. The Dalish approached her, and handed her a packet. “It’s for you,” he said.

“What’s in there?”

“It’s for a job, but you can keep it afterwards.”

She took the packet, and unfolded it. There was fabric inside. She pulled it up to get a better picture, and realised it was a shirt or top of some kind. And long one. She stood up, and held it high.

It was a dress. And it was incredibly beautiful. The main fabric was flowy, shiny, soft. Around shoulders and on the bottom of the skirt there was lace with flower and butterfly patterns. The dress appeared black, but when the sun shone under a particular angle, it was dark purple.

She looked at them with huge eyes. “How did you get it?” Such clothes were very expensive.

“Someone has very deft hands,” Zevran smiled, giving Eeyo a knowing look.

“You stole it?” Nadami still didn’t understand. “But why?”

“We have a plan on how to take down the mark, and your job is to wear this,” the Antivan told her.

The look she gave him had to be something, because Fenris started to laugh. “You must be joking”, she said. “I wouldn’t even know how to wear something like this.”

“I’ll help you put it on, yes?!” The cheerfulness in Zevran’s voice betrayed that his promise wasn’t only for her benefit.

“You are insane!” she declared. “Now, that’s the plan exactly?” she asked, giving the dress a critical look.

  


**3**

  


“Aaaarh!” It was the third time Nadami’s growls sounded in otherwise quiet forest. “Zevran!”

The Antivan put the cup with water away, stood up, and went toward where she was changing. “Mmmm?” he teased her.

“You want me to wear this, you help me wear this!”

He went around the bushes she’d hid herself while stripping – for Eeyo’s sake, he was sure – and was almost by her side when she finished speaking. Entangled in slippery, soft fabric, she had a miserable expression on her face.

“I’m afraid I’ll rip it,” she said in a teary voice.

“Let me see,” he smiled, and tried to make heads and toes from the current state of the dress.

Then he helped her take it completely off, and began from the beginning. As he gently pulled and slid the skirt down her body, he realised this thing was not meant to be put on by oneself. It was obvious this was designed with a thought of servants or slaves at hand. Nadami’s part in it was to stand with her hands stretched above her head, while someone else had to pull it down, and make sure the front was in the front, not a side. He also helped her put on elegant, whole-arm long gloves that came with it.

He stepped back a bit to take a better look at her, and… froze.

Nadami was pretty. He always thought so, and never changed his mind. Her pale, peppered with freckles skin contrasted with fiery hair. The green colour of her unusual, narrow eyes popped in comparison with the dark purple shine of her dress. The freckles on her arms looked like additional decoration, peeping through the openings in the lace.

She wasn’t just pretty. She was stunning. Living in wilderness, poverty, wearing practical, patched up and stitched up clothes and on the run hid that effectively, but when her beauty was enhanced and exposed, she was a goddess.

“What?” she looked at him suspiciously.

He smiled, and beckoned her closer. “Come, let’s do something with your hair.”

She slowly, distrustfully approached him, then bent her knees, so that he could comfortably reach her head. He combed her hair with his fingers, then started braiding it, on purpose leaving loose wisps crowning her face on both sides.

“How much longer? My knees hurt!” she complained.

“And my hands hurt,” he fired back. “Why did you grow so tall, mmm?”

“Why didn’t you outgrown an average dwarf?”

“I’m taller than a dwarf!”

“Not by much!”

“By enough!”

Finally, he was done. He went around to look at her face. He took it in his hands, and kissed. He felt like pulling her close, taking off that dress, messing up her hair, and do things with her that no one ever had done before to achieve new levels of ecstasy.

“It’s probably time to go,” he said, reluctantly moving away.

They returned to the camping side.

“My dear friends,” he announced, bowing low toward Fenris and Eeyo, “I present you: the Queen of Elves.”

The Dalish smiled. “You look great!” he said.

Fenris, on the other hand, stared at her without a word. Zevran wondered if this was exactly the same expression he’d had when he’d first seen her wearing the purple garment.

“You are so beautiful,” the Tevinter said eventually in a soft, dreamy voice. Zevran felt like taking off his clothes, too, for new levels of ecstasy.

For now, however, there was a job to do. Pleasures could wait… for a bit. Just not too long a bit.

“We have a job to do, remember?” Eeyo’s energy found release in his bouncing on his heels.

“Let’s go. Before I tear this delicate dress and look like a beggar,” Nadami agreed.

  


**4**

  


Nadami took a deep breath. “Let’s hope I can do a decent posh accent straight from Denerim,” she said.

Fenris grinned. “This is Tevinter, they wouldn’t know.”

“I cannah go an’ rumble like rural meself,” she replied, really sounding like a peasant from a small village.

He chuckled. “This is not how you sound.”

She raised her head higher, wrinkled her nose, and slowly said, “I’m a poop-sniffing, self-important noble from the gem of the South, Denerim, sir. I have so many servants that I don’t even know how many. Their pay ruins me. How much do you pay yours, sir?”

He giggled louder. “Well, that could start an interesting conversation. They’d be befuddled that you pay anyone at all.” Her sneer told him that was her intention exactly. After a moment, he added, “Which would most likely end with you breaking his nose with your little fist.”

“But my pretty dress, sir!” she continued with the accent. “I don’t want any nose blood on it!” Then she returned to her normal voice. “Hawke is an aristocrat. Do I sound like her?”

“Hawke grew up in Lothering. So you have really more in common than you think.” He really hoped his words wouldn’t annoy Nadami. He knew she could be jealous of his and Zevran’s past lovers. “But her mother… I still remember her whispering about ‘that elf’… So remember, when you whisper, do it so loud that everyone can still hear. Especially the person you’re trying to talk about.”

She leant to him, stood on her toes to reach his ear with her lips, and whispered, “There’s that awesome elf, you know. He’s so tall, so strong, and so handsome, and has interesting white markings, and I would like…” Then she moved away, pretending to be surprised. “Ooops, wrong person. I thought I was talking to someone else.” She put her hand on her lips, while he laughed out loud.

In spite of their worries, the invitation was not questioned, and they both were let in without any problems.

Fenris kept close to her, but in respectful distance. The situation brought back sour memories and feelings he thought he’d never feel again. He knew it was not the same, he knew it was for the benefit of others, he also really cared about the safety of his charge, but it still was too close to his past life, and relationship he’d had with Danarius not to feel uncomfortable and dirty.

What he found pleasure in was Nadami turning many, many heads. Her exotic beauty drew attention, which should make their task a lot easier. It also gave Fenris a chance to glower at everybody who showed too much interest in her. Some looked back at him with defiance (how dared a slave give them such a look!), but some backed out. Elf or no elf, slave or no slave, he still terrified some privileged Tevinter twats, and this time he found great pleasure in the notion.

But the main reason was that this wonderful woman, whom half the room would kill to get attention of, had chosen him, and had given him her heart. He felt like a winner.

After a while he noticed the pompous games and pretence started to tire Nadami. She wasn’t used to such things, so they began to wear her down. He tried to keep most of the crowd away from her to give her space, and quite a few guests changed their heading when he appeared in their way to her.

There was a moment when she was free enough to approach him. “We need to talk, but alone. Outside,” she said quietly.

He only bowed slightly in reply, which was expected of a slave, but took her by surprise. A second later she understood why he’d done it, but he found her first reaction endearing.

“Garden,” she added.

They walked outside. He led her to a secluded place, making sure no one watched, followed, or could eavesdrop.

“I should have a chance soon to lure him out soon, but you’d need to stay here,” she explained.

“Why?”

“It’d be suspicious if I dragged my slave to um… an intimate moment.”

He frowned. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I, but we need to play it out properly.” She put a hand on his cheek, and looked into his eyes. “Don’t worry.” She smiled gently.

She looked like a dream in the moonlight. Her hair was more red than orange in the night’s darkness, and matched her red lips. Not able to resist any longer, he pulled her close and kissed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his. He passionately kissed her neck, her cheek, while his hands travelled on her hips and breasts. The smooth in touch fabric of her dress only excited him more.

“Fenfen…” she whispered.

Reluctantly, he stopped. He leant his forehead on hers, and closed his eyes, waiting for his heart to calm down. She rubbed his ear.

“Let’s go back,” she said. “Stay somewhere safe and away. I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t let him do anything to you.” He found the thought that this disgusting mage would lay his hands on her infuriating.

“I’ll be careful”.

They returned to the house. She waved him away with an exaggerated move, so he stood by the plate with snacks and stayed there, while she headed for the host. He felt discomfort at the thought they’d be separated. He knew, naturally, that she was completely capable of taking care of herself, but his instincts were to protect her, to make sure she was safe. She was playing a dangerous game here, and if the mage realised he was being played, there wasn’t much she could do against his magic.

“She makes you do things, too, doesn’t she?”

“Mm?” He looked at the elf, who’d approached him. She now stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder, also watching the pair. “I saw you in the garden.” She glanced at him. “Nothing to be ashamed of,” she smiled gently. “You must do what you must do to survive, I know.”

He knew he should confirm to play his role, but he just couldn’t make himself say something so vile about Nadami. So he stayed silent.

The mage’s hand touched her, than slid lower, almost to her buttock. Fenris frowned.

“You are jealous!” the elf said. There was surprise in her voice, but no judgement. “You’re in love with her.”

“No.” He shook his head, belatedly realising that probably too vigorously, so only confirming he was lying. “I’m just her bodyguard. I… am not comfortable, when I can’t protect her.” He looked at the elf. “Failing in my task could get me in trouble,” he explained in a grave voice.

“I know,” she nodded with understanding. “But I have eyes. I can see how you look at her, especially now that she’s with another man, when he’s touching her.” She smiled. “There is nothing wrong with that. She is beautiful. And she must be good to you.”

He didn’t say anything. His frown deepened in spite of his efforts not to let that happen, when Nadami and the target left the room, and were out of his sight.

“I suppose that would make it harder to convince you,” the elf said.

Confused, he looked at her. “Convince me to do what?”

Her eyes studied him from heads to toes. Not the same sexually objectifying way Isabela used to do, which he absolutely hated, but rather a careful assessment. “You look like someone who knows how to hold a weapon. And if you’re your master’s bodyguard, you must be good.”

“What of it?”

“We… we could use someone like you.”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“It would mean leaving her forever. But if it makes a difference, I’m sure she doesn’t share your feelings. You’re just an elf, just a slave to her. She uses you like a tool, nothing else.”

“Get to the point.”

“Not here. If you want to hear more, meet me at the statue in the central district. Do you know where it is?”

“I do.”

“Tomorrow. At sunset. Can you get there at that time?”

“I can.”

“Then come. I’ll explain everything.”

  


**5**

  


Zevran knew patience was part of his job, but it was also something he was never good at. He easily grew restless; he needed to be busy, active, do something. Instead, he had to sit here all alone. Eeyo was at his spot, too far for a chat.

Time stretched without mercy.

He played with the tip of his braid, wondering if it would stay curly if he kept wrapping it around his finger for much longer.

Finally a very welcome sound of someone coming brought variety. He instinctively hid in a shadow, and waited.

Nadami appeared from behind the corner. She was laughing. It was a high-pitched, forced laughter. She ran closer to where Zevran stood. They had chosen this place for several reasons: it was secluded, surrounded by trees from one side, and dark. Buildings left shadows everywhere, and the faint moonlight wasn’t much help to anyone, who wanted to be fully aware of their surroundings.

But the mage didn’t seem to want to be aware of anything. He was tipsy, and all his attention was on the lovely woman who’d lured him here.

Zevran wondered where was Fenris, but there was no way to ask Nadami. He only hoped his absence was planned, and not a result of something bad.

She slid one of her gloves and threw it toward a shadow. “Ooops!” she shouted, then laughed.

The mage ran toward it, and when he was picking it up with his back to her, she pointed her finger into her mouth, making a gesture of vomitting, then ran away. By the time the man turned toward the place she’d stood, she was gone. He stood there, confused for a moment, and Zevran knew his time had finally come.

Quietly, he moved toward the mage still staying in the shadows. Then he placed one knife at the man’s back, and the other at his jugular. There was no doubt the message was immediately understood.

“The Antivan Crows send their regards,” Zevran whispered to his ear.

“Wait!”

The elf squinted his eyes, but waited.

“You have a contract on a Magister Alavia, don’t you?”

“Maybe…”

“She knows that the Antivan Crows are after her,” the mage said. He slowly moved away from Zevran, and the elf allowed it… for now. He carefully watched him for possible tricks, though. “She’s entrenched even better than normally. You can’t reach her.” He paused, then added, smiling sweetly, “Not without my help, anyway.”

Zevran squinted his eyes even more at him. “Get to the point.”

“I can flood with fire all her guards, servants and slaves to open the way for you. For a price.”

“Your life,” the Antivan said. That wasn’t hard to guess.

“Exactly. A favour for a favour.”

Zevran’s lips thinned. The whole idea reeked, and he did not enjoy the smell.

“Do we have a deal?”

“You want to kill her whole entourage and leave her to me,” the Crow said slowly, “under the condition I spare you, yes?”

“That’s right.”

It hadn’t escaped the Antivan’s attention as they talked, the mage was slowly backing away, putting more and more distance between them. Stalling.

Zevran snapped his fingers twice. The sound didn’t fully dissipate yet, when an arrow landed in the mage’s throat, piercing it through. The surprise on his face was almost amusing. He fell to his knees, his hand grabbing his neck, as if there was anything he could do.

Zevran leant over him, and whispered in an angry, hissing tone, “The Antivan Crows always complete their contracts. And if you thought that bribing me with murder of innocent slaves and servants would work, you don’t know me at all.”

The man stretched his bloodied hand with fingers bent like claws toward the Antivan, but Zevran easily stepped back beyond his reach.

A few moments later the mage finally bled out, and expired, falling on his face into a pool of his own blood.

“Good shooting!” Zevran shouted toward the trees.

“Thanks!” came Eeyo’s muffled voice.

  


**6**

  


Nadami, Zevran and Eeyo returned to the camp to find Fenris already there.

“The task has been completed, I presume,” the Tevinter said.

“Uhm,” Nadami only mumbled.

“Okay, well then,” Eeyo said, scratching his ear. “I’ve seen how you two looked at her all evening, so I will go for a longish walk, while you celebrate.”

“Smart boy.” Zevran patted his head. The Dalish slapped his hand away, laughing, then grabbed his bow, and disappeared in the dark forest.

Fenris took a cup and filled it with something he was cooking over the fire. Then he handed it to Nadami. “You look tired,” he said softly. “I assume you’re done with posh accents for a while.”

“Forever, if I can help it,” she said, then took a sip.

“We rip it off her, or take off gently for future use?” Zevran asked. He helped himself to a cup of soup.

“There is something we need to discuss, but it can wait until tomorrow,” the Tevinter said. “I was contacted by a mysterious elf, and invited to something rebellious, by the sound of it.”

“Any details?” Nadami asked.

“She refused to talk during the party. Someone could overhear us. I’m meeting her tomorrow night.”

“You trust her?” Zevran gave him an attentive look.

“Nothing she said or did was suspicious. She took a greater risk by talking to me. She is a slave. Or was one.”

“She mentioned your markings?”

“No. She only made general comments about my looking like someone who can kick arse.”

“She wasn’t wrong,” Zevran said in a dreamy voice with a naughty wriggle of his eyebrows.

“Damn, you’re so horny tonight!” Nadami laughed.

“You would be too, if you didn’t run away from the final kill,” he replied.

“Hey! What does that mean?”

“Oh, Dami, Dami, mi amora. A good kill keeps your blood warm.”

“No, it doesn’t!” she protested, even though Fenris nodded in agreement with Zevran. “What are you trying to say!” She looked surprised at the Tevinter, then back at the Antivan. “That I get turned on by murder? What kind of sicko do you think I am?”

“No one said anything about a sicko,” Zevran said with a little firmness. Then continued, softer, “But action, adrenaline, those things don’t leave you calm.” He finished his soup, and put the cup away.

She watched them both suspiciously, glaring over the rim of her cup. Zevran stood up, sat next to her, and started kissing her neck. Fenris waited for a moment, watching them to see if she was too tired and not really in a mood, but as her expression changed to a bliss, he knew the answer.

“Do you want me to stop, mmm?” Zevran asked her between smooches.

“Don’t you dare,” she said. She looked at Fenris, and stretched her hand toward him in an inviting gesture.

He didn’t need to be asked twice.


	13. The Lost Cause?

**1**

 

The day had been quite hot – which Nadami had reminded them all multiple times during the day – so Fenris welcomed a bit cooler breeze of the evening.

He walked toward the meeting place. The other three followed, but in a way that wasn’t supposed to draw attention. He hadn’t warned the mysterious elf he wasn’t alone, but he did not intended to be over there all by himself. While he didn’t suspect anything in particular, caution was never a bad thing, especially in the matters of life and death.

There was someone standing by the statue, but it wasn’t the elf from the previous evening. Fenris casually walked toward the monument, but not directly toward that person. It could be someone waiting for him, or it could be not.

From the silhouette it was obvious it was an elf. As the Tevinter got closer, the mysterious man looked at him directly for a long while, then slapped a piece of paper on the statue. After that he turned on his heel, and ran away. Was that message for Fenris? He had nothing to lose by checking.

He took the paper. There were instructions of another meeting place, and a simple map. Whoever were those people, they were careful.

He wasn’t certain how to proceed, though. Was he watched now? Would they notice Zevran, Nadami and Eeyo following him? Maybe it’d be easier if he continued with them openly, instead of something that could look like deception. Especially since in their eyes Nadami was a mage and his master. They could think Fenris was a spy leading his master to destroy whatever they were doing.

Undecided, he stood by the statue with the paper still in his hand. His plan had been to talk to the elf and explain that he wasn’t alone, but now with no one to tell it to, things could go really wrong. He didn’t want anyone get hurt; especially since his companions were the ones at risk. Whether he chose to let the other three trail him in secret, or walk with them in the open, Nadami was at the greatest risk.

Maybe just leaving and forgetting about the whole thing was the way to go? It’s not like he needed those people, and they would do fine without him too. After all, he was just one elf, and couldn’t make that much difference.

No, he wasn’t going to risk the safety of his family for some elf who’d talked to him uninvited at the party. Crushing the paper into a ball in his fist, he headed back. He didn’t intend to simply return to their camp. In case he was watched – and he believed that to be very probable – he was not going to expose his own safe place.

He was out of the market, when Eeyo approached him, but he was alone.

“Change of plans?” he asked.

“She was not there, so I could not tell her I’m not alone. She still thinks Nadami is my master. This could end badly.”

“So we go home?”

“We roam for a bit until I am sure they don’t follow us home.”

He found it almost funny that they both called a couple of tents and a fire a ‘home’.

“Where are the others?” he asked.

“Zevran decided they should stay in hiding. He suspected something went wrong, since you looked like going back. An elven kid wouldn’t–”

He didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence, when an arrow landed in front of them. There was another piece of paper attached to it.

“Clearly,” Fenris grumbled, “they are watching me indeed.”

Eeyo went to fetch the paper. He read it, then handed it to the Tevinter.

_Bring the child too._

“I’m not a ‘child’,” the Dalish snorted offended.

“Do you have anything to write with you?” Fenris asked.

Eeyo patted his belt with utilities. “Um, no, I don’t think so.”

Fenris checked his own bags, not hoping to find anything, as he didn’t remember having any. He so rarely had to write anything. To his surprise, he was lucky and found a very short pencil. He scribbled “Either talk to me or leave me alone”, cursing the slowness with which he put the letters down, and then placed it back on the arrow.

“Let’s go.”

Eeyo didn’t ask any questions, and just followed.

They were walking down a street, when someone came from behind a building, and continued in the same direction they were headed, just very slowly and ahead of them. This time Fenris recognised his interlocutor from last night.

Soon they caught up with her.

“I thought you were interested,” she said, speeding up to their pace, and now walking next to them.

“Curious is a better word.”

“So why leave now?”

“I’m not alone, but I could not tell you that yesterday, and couldn’t today either. I’m not putting my people in danger because of your need of caution.”

“We would watch them. But we wouldn’t hurt them for no reason. Unless they became a threat, nothing bad would happen.”

“The presence of one could be very easily misconstrued as a threat.”

She stopped. “Please tell me you didn’t bring your master.”

Fenris felt comfort knowing that Zevran and Nadami were not discovered.

“I don’t have a master,” he said.

She raised her hand with the note he’d left. She waved it in front of his face. “Someone taught you to write, but these letters were written by an unpractised hand. This is not a skill you had all our life.”

“It isn’t.”

“So which is it?”

“You people aren’t very smart, are you?” Eeyo rolled his eyes.

She squinted at him, but then looked back at Fenris. Eeyo crossed his arms on his chest, and gave her a defiant look; he didn’t like being ignored.

“What exactly is your relationship with her, then?” the elf asked the Tevinter, and he thought he heard a note of contempt in her voice.

“It’s not about a relationship. It’s about who she is.”

“Who?”

“A Fereldan woman, who dedicated her whole life to fighting slavers.” Scepticism was all over her face, but it didn’t stop Fenris from continuing, “Among us, she the one who could teach you the most. She’s the one, who could help you the most. She’s the one with the best contacts for you: routes out of Tevinter to safety, people in Ferelden to contact who help runaways.”

“She’s not a mage?”

They resumed their walk.

“Not a drop of magic in her blood.”

“Then why… _how_ was she on that party?”

“We… we had a task to complete, and this was part of it.”

She was silent for a while, walking next to them. “The host was found dead this morning. Did she do it?”

“Nope!” Eeyo exclaimed, grinning.

She stopped again. “I am not the decision maker here, but I can promise you and your companions safety. Unless she starts throwing fire balls, nothing will happen to her.”

Fenris wrapped Nadami’s hair band on his wrist, which was the agreed sign for the others to join him in the open. “They’re coming,” he told the elf.

“You’re careful, organised. I like that,” she smiled.

A few minutes later Zevran and Nadami joined them.

“You are quite a bunch!” the elf commented. She gave the Antivan a careful look, but her interest was mostly in the human.

“We are indeed!” Zevran bowed in reply.

Fenris expected the elf to ask Nadami questions, but she didn’t. However, she indeed observed the human woman.

  


**2**

  


Nadami was uncomfortable. All eyes were on her, and she could almost feel the tingling on her skin it caused. A shemlen among elves that had been hurt by shemlen. She walked behind Fenris, trying not to look like a threat. She slowed her pace slightly, so that both Zevran and Eeyo would also be ahead of them. She hoped her following the three elves behind would send a message to the others that she didn’t feel like she was in charge here.

But as she slowed down, so did Zev. He constantly kept slightly behind her left shoulder. She turned her head to look at him.

He grinned. “No worries, mi amora. I’ve got your back.”

For a moment, the discomfort disappeared, replaced by a warm feeling of his protection.

They were led to a cave hidden in hills outside of the town. Nadami thought it was a good location. Hard to accidentally find in the forest, but at the same time close enough to the town in case they needed something.

The cave turned out to be a whole labyrinth of tunnels. Those nearest to the entrance were staffed with guards and warning traps, but deeper… deeper in there was something that she could best describe as a small village.

They were led to the biggest chamber in the complex of caves she’d seen so far, to a man, who was busy with caring for a young child. There was another elf next to him, and as they approached them, the child was sent away, presumably back to her parents, while the adults looked at them.

“This is Feynhorn,” the elf who’d led them here – Nadami realised she still hadn’t given her own name yet – introduced him. “He’s in charge here.”

Feynhorn looked them up and down, but the human’s attention was drawn to the other one. He didn’t look in any way special, but his reaction to Fenris was quite clear. He looked almost like he’d seen a ghost. Nadami wondered if he also had heard the legend of the special super elf who’d killed his master to run away. Fenris would be frustrated if the whole population of the caves started looking at him that way.

But there was something more to the elf’s behaviour. His initial shock, and a quick study of Fen’s markings were replaced by something else. Something she couldn’t quite interpret. It wasn’t the same reaction as with the other runaways. There was more to it.

Fenris, however, did not react to that person in any way. His attention was fully on Feynhorn.

She glanced at Zevran. He also noticed the reaction; he shot her a look once he saw her eyes on him, shrugged, and then looked at the boss.

“What’s your story?” Feynhorn asked Fenris.

The Tevinter’s reply was dry. “Probably the same as many people over here have: I was a slave, I ran away.”

“That’s it?”

“You want gruesome details how I gained my scars?”

Feynhorn took another look at Fenris’s markings. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

The female elf whispered something to his ear, and his eyes moved to Nadami. “You were no slave,” he stated flatly.

She sighed. ‘Here we go again.’ “I don’t have to break a leg to know it hurts,” she said.

The boss moved closer to her, and so did all three of her elves. Protectively. Feynhorn looked into her eyes, and she held his gaze without blinking.

“Trying to read my mind?” she mocked.

“Perhaps,” he replied calmly. Then looked at the others. Smiled, and stepped back. “Let’s talk business,” he said.

He invited them to follow him, then led them to a corner with thick furry skins spread on the ground. He sat, and waited for them to sit down.

Nadami noticed Fenris was still watched by the same elf as before. She had no idea what that or the deep frown on his face meant.

“Let me be direct,” Feynhorn began. “We need people who can fight. People who can train others how to fight. People who can protect those who can’t fight.”

“What for?” Fenris asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he paused for a moment. “Killing individual mages, magisters, and slave hunters is noble, but ultimately pointless. There will always be more coming. We need to change things.”

Fenris snorted. “A rebellion. I hope you learnt to read. I can give you a few books on how that ended each time before.”

“So what do you expect us to do?” the female elf fired back. “This cannot be!”

The Tevinter gave her a cold look. “Take care of yourself. Stand out and you must live in a dark, damp cave with spiders.” He gestured around. “In constant fear of being found out and caught.”

She puffed with indignation. “I thought you’re better than that!”

“Sorry to disappoint,” he barked sarcastically.

“Calm down, both of you,” Feynhorn said, which quieted the woman, but had no influence on Fenris whatsoever.

“You’re risking people’s lives on a hopeless cause,” the Tevinter said. “You worry about the helpless, but you do nothing to take them to safety. You sit here, making your grand plans, hoping this time it ends differently than any other time in history.”

“Let me ask you this: how do you know no rebellion ever succeeded?”

“What?”

“How? Where did you read that?”

“I… I was told that.”

“By whom?”

Fenris was silent for a long time before answering. “My master.”

Feynhorn smiled, but not with satisfaction or arrogance. Just a friendly smile. “I think I made my point, judging by your hesitation.”

Nadami didn’t understand. “What point?”

“His master could lie to discourage him from ever thinking about rebelling or running away to look for rebels.”

“If it isn’t the truth, there would be change. We would see the freedom it’s bore. Somewhere,” Fenris countered.

“The South if free of slavery.”

“Do you know the difference between an alienage in the South and the slave elven alienage in Tevinter?” the tall elf asked. “None at all.”

Nadami thought she heard bitterness and frustration in Fen’s voice. Was this conversation the cause of it, or the pointlessness of what this group aimed at. She didn’t agree with his view, but she could understand it. Fenris went through hell, and tightly clung to what precious he had now, trying not to lose it. He was done with big heroic things. If he ever had an inclination to such – and she wasn’t sure he did – the events in Kirkwall cured him of such saving the world needs. In his mind, the world would roll as it pleased, and crush anyone who’d try to stop or derail it.

“You are free. You live as you please. We all want that,” Feynhorn tried to reason with him.

“I did not achieve that by staying in Tevinter. I left.”

“And now you’re back.”

“The reasons are different than you think. It has nothing to do with my past.”

“So you’re a coward,” the female elf said.

“You can call him a lot of things, but coward is not one of them,” Eeyo said angrily.

“It’s not cowardice to choose your battles carefully, and not waste lives on a lost cause.”

“If we asked you to say, would you?” Feynhorn said.

Fenris shook his head. “No.”

“Anything we could do to make you change you mind?”

“No.”

“Nothing?” the female elf asked sceptically.

The Tevinter smirked. “You were wrong about Nadami being my master, but you were not wrong about the other thing.”

She looked at the human. “I hope I was wrong about the other thing being one-sided.”

“You were.”

“Good, then.”

Confused, Nadami looked from one to another, but neither seem to be willing to shed more light on their exchange.

“However, if you need a place for your most vulnerable to go, a place safer than here, I’m sure we can offer some help,” Fenris said.

“You can?”

The Tevinter nodded toward Nadami. “She spent her lifetime forging contacts to shelter runaways.”

Feynhorn looked at her again. “I’ll be very interested in hearing more about this.”

“No problem,” she replied.

“But that can wait until later. We will soon eat. I hope you’ll join us.”

“We didn’t plan to stay long,” Fenris said.

“Please.”

The Tevinter sighed, while Eeyo asked, “Do you have dumplings?”

“I am not sure. Maybe.” Feynhorn seemed uncertain if it was a serious question, especially after Nadami, Fenris and Zevran started giggling.

Eventually the tall elf said, “We’ll stay. He’d never forgive us if you have dumplings, and he didn’t get to eat them.”

They were led to another cave within the complex. This place had more of a ‘family’ touch to it, and less ‘headquarters’. Some people placed bowls and plates with food in the middle on low, smooth rocks that served as tables. Then everybody started sitting around.

Nadami noticed the same elf again, still observing Fenris. Without a shock on his face, but still not taking his eyes off her lover.

“Do you know him?” she asked the Tevinter.

He looked up at the man, then shrugged. “No.”

“He doesn’t get his eyes off you.”

“I’m stunningly handsome. Or so says Zevran.”

“Well, you are.” She gently nudged him on the shoulder. “But you’re ours, so this bloke should back off.”

But something bothered her about this situation. Her first assumption – that he was another one who’d heard the legend, and now saw an example of such a warrior – didn’t seem to fully fit. He’d get over it by now, but he didn’t. He also looked away the moment Fenris glanced at him.

“You’d fight for me?” Fenris teased her.

“Anyone and everyone.”

He leant toward her and kissed her on the cheek.

Was it a warm smile on the mysterious elf’s face or she’d just imagined it.

Zevran handed Eeyo a few dumplings, so the Dalish started happily munching on them.

“So what do we do?” the Antivan asked. “Rebel with the rebels?”

“You mean, die with the rebels?” Fenris grumbled.

“Awww, cheer up, mi amor!”

Nadami left them chatting, and headed for the mysterious elf.

“Hi,” she said, sitting next to him. “May I?”

“Sure,” he said.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you watch my friend there closely. Any reason of that?”

“Did he say anything about me?” he asked, instead of answering.

“No. Should he?”

“So he never forgave me…” he whispered, lowering his head.

It just made her more mysterious. For a second. Then she realised there was an explanation to it. “You know him… or rather knew him,” she stated.

“It was long ago,” he sighed again.

She was a little torn now. She knew Fenris was quite private about his past and experiences, about not remembering much before becoming Fenris, and not really caring to learn since finding his sister had turned out to be such a disappointment. But she also wanted to tell this poor soul that Fenris simply didn’t remember him. It was not her place to tell him about Fen’s memory issue, but she also hoped to connect them.

“Maybe you should just try to talk to him,” she said softly. “His bite isn’t as terrible as his bark suggests.”

He shook his head. “No, no, I can’t. It’s not my place. What’s done is done.”

“Maybe you’re wrong. You’re guessing. Give him a chance, and see how he feels.”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked her.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was curious. Now… Now I know something you don’t, and you won’t until you talk to him.” She rose. “Sorry, if I bothered you.”

She returned to her elves, while the mysterious elf watched her, then Fenris again.

“What did you learn?” the Tevinter asked her.

“You knew him.”

Fen’s head jerked, as he looked at the man. His eyebrows drew together in that expression of uncertainty. He had no idea what he wanted now: ignore that or embrace. Then he looked back at her. “What did you tell him?”

“To talk to you.”

“Why are you so nosy?” he asked with irritation.

“Why aren’t you taking this opportunity to learn more about yourself?” she fired back.

“I know all I need about myself. He would just tell me about Leto. Leto is dead.” They looked at each other for a moment, and his mood got worse. “What would I gain from knowing? It’s a story of a different man. A story of a miserable childhood, living in slavery, poverty, with no future. Everybody here has the same story. There’s nothing there for me!”

Her gaze only intensified. He could deny it all he wanted, but she was certain he needed it. He only harrumphed at her, and turned away.


	14. Leto

**1**

  


Zevran watched Fenris closely during the meal. He tried to guess how meeting all these people made him feel. The Tevinter had clearly declared he wouldn’t join them, but also his reasons weren’t related to their plans.

Zevran doubted their goals were achievable. Strong, powerful people were strong and powerful for centuries, because it was nearly impossible to rob them of that power. They weren’t willing to give it up. The Tevinter nobility was clearly set on keeping status quo or they’d move away from slavery and blood magic long ago, just like the rest of Thedas.

Zevran had seen all kinds of rebels who wanted to change the world. If they were peasants trying to have better lives, they died in the attempt. If they were nobles trying to better the lives of their charges, they were assassinated. Those who didn’t like losing power were stronger, and more numerous. They always won.

But it was not his place to tell Fenris what to do. Fenris needed his freedom fully, including all possible insane choices. They were his choices to make.

As Nadami walked away with Feynhorn to discuss her contacts in the South, Zevran felt it was a good moment for a private chat.

“Mi amor.” The Tevinter looked at him. “Let’s talk. Alone.”

Fenris nodded, and they went to a secluded spot in a corner of the cave, where they hoped not to be disturbed.

“What is it?”

“What do you think about it all?” Zevran asked.

Fenris shrugged. “It’s madness.”

“Doesn’t it tempt you? Not even a little bit? To fight for freedom of all slaves? To perhaps end it in Tevinter once and for all?”

Fenris’s gaze intensified, as his eyes studied the Antivan’s face. “Why do you ask me this?”

The Crow moved closer to him, and put his hand at the back of Fenris’s neck, cradling its side in his palm, and rubbing his ear with his thumb. “If there is any part of you that feels it a worthy cause, you should do what’s the best for you,” he said softly. “It’s your life, and your life’s meaning. Your goals. Your achievement. Don’t let anything – or anyone – stop or hinder you.” He put his other hand on Fenris’s cheek. “I wouldn’t dare to ask you for such a sacrifice. I’d want you to do what you think is the best for you. This is your homeland, and you have a chance to become a part of a change for better.” The pair of Tevinter green eyes were on him almost without blinking. He felt his heart sinking, as he kept speaking, but it had to be said. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d lose someone to duty, but at least this time it wouldn’t be a permanent irreversible loss. Fenris would be alive and well, and satisfied, and fulfilled, only not by his side. That’d be all. That’d be acceptable, even if it made him miserable and painfully longing for his presence. “I don’t want your choice to be tied to me or Nadami. Your choosing to stay and work here wouldn’t mean you care for us less. We would miss you, but it’s more important you do your thing, yes?”

“Zevran,” Fenris whispered, pulling him closer, and leaning his forehead on Zev’s. He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to be anywhere where you aren’t. What I want is to walk with you anywhere you go. I don’t want to be a hero. I don’t want to save the world. All I want is to spend my life with you.” He pulled away a bit, and grinned. “If you want to save the world, I’ll gladly accompany you.”

Zev smirked. “I already helped stop the Fifth Blight. I think I am done with saving the world business.”

“At least you were more successful. Look how saving Kirkwall ended.”

They kissed and hugged for a long while.

The Antivan felt a great relief. He truly wanted what was the best for his love, but he also wanted to be with him. He’d already lost too many important people…

It was so complicated…

He wasn’t good with complicated feelings. Kiss, sex meant happy. Let walk away meant right but unhappy.

“If we have a future,” he began.

“We’ll have it together,” Fenris finished.

The murmur of his voice filled the Antivan’s heart with warmth. “I feel like bathing in warm soup,” he said.

The other elf chuckled. “Aaaand the mood’s gone.”

“I can put you in a mood,” Zevran promised, squinting his eyes.

“I know. I also know what kind of mood. Are you wearing anything under your kilt today?”

“It was a hot day! And you never know when your handsome lover develops urges.”

“I can keep my urges at bay.”

“How come! With me around! Impossible!”

Fenris laughed, shook his head, and kissed Zevran.

  


**2**

  


Fenris watched Zevran walk away in bouncy steps, not aware there was a half smile playing on his lips. He adored that bundle of trouble so much, especially after such thoughtful moments like the conversation they just had. He remembered when he’d thought the Antivan was just a hedonistic fluff, initially merely a distraction after being hurt by Hawke. But their late night talks had revealed so much more under the sweet candy exterior. In spite of superficial differences, they had so much in common.

“Hello,” a voice interrupted this thoughts. “Your friend said we probably should talk, but– but if you want me to walk away, I will.”

It was the unknown elf who’d been watching him most of the evening.

“What would you like to say? Or hear?” Fenris asked. He wasn’t particularly eager to do this, but he felt it wasn’t going to go away, so the sooner it was over, the better.

The man stood silent for a moment, then grinned sheepishly. “I didn’t really prepare anything. I guess I expected you to turn and walk away by now.”

“Why would I?” He knew there was a story behind it, but he didn’t really care that much to hear it. His curiosity about his past was mostly gone by now. Varania turned out to be the worst his past could bring, and he had the present and the future that he looked forward to now. He could also add the past he could remember: the last decade. Those were filled with what was precious to him. The past before the markings was immaterial.

“I don’t think I could forgive what I did to you, Leto. I don’t expect you to, either.”

Fenris’s eyebrows drew together. “Look, I do not know what this is about, but whatever is biting you, it doesn’t matter. I have no idea who you are.”

He lowered his head. “I suppose I wouldn’t want to know me, either.”

He was just about to go away, when Fenris said, “I mean it literally. The day I received these,” he raised his arms to expose the markings, “was the day I was born. Leto, your friend – or whoever he was to you – died. He’s gone.”

The elf frowned. “What does that mean?”

“This is my first memory. Whatever was before, is gone. I don’t remember you. You don’t owe me anything.” He paused. “My name is Fenris. Leto is dead and has been for years.” After another moment he added. “You’re off the hook.”

A sad smile and a sigh was his reply. “I wish it was that easy.”

“Why guilt if there is no crime?” He felt sorry for this poor sod. Clearly consumed by a profound feeling of guilt he carried apparently for years, and there was no true reason for that.

“There is crime. We– we– you were my best friend. But you refused to listen when I tried to convince you not to do this.” He pointed at the markings, when saying ‘this’. “But you were so adamant to get through with it. Your mother’s health was getting worse, and you were sure she’d die, if you didn’t get her out. You wanted to make sure she’d be free and taken care of.” He paused, rubbing his eyes. “When they took you– I stayed. I wanted to be the first person you’d see after it was over. To show you that I disagreed with your choice, but would still be your best friend. No matter what.” His eyes glistened with tears. “They didn’t let me in. I couldn’t see anything– but I could hear. I heard it all. Every step of it. I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t bare listening to your screams. I ran. I managed to get out of the estate. They were too busy with you to watch the rest of the slaves.”

Fenris couldn’t imagine how hurtful it would be to him to wait through this emotional nightmare, and to only discover Fenris had no idea who he was. “This is how you got your freedom?” he guessed. “You ran away that night?”

The elf nodded. “Yes. But when you returned, I wasn’t there. You were alone. In pain, alone. I failed you!”

“If you stayed, you would still be a slave, and I would have no idea who you were. I’d be alone anyway.” The Tevinter shrugged. “Don’t beat yourself up for it. You did the right thing.” He truly believed that. He was only sorry his freedom was bought for the price of guilt. He knew that feeling all too well himself.

“No– You– It doesn’t change the fact I abandoned you. It– still shows what kind of man I am.”

“This life… that life we lived had influence on us. I also discovered things I didn’t like about myself there. I hope it got better. For you too.” He used to be so angry, so frustrated, so bloodthirsty, and it gave him nothing in return but more of those feelings. Until Hawke. She’d listened, she’d given him time and space. Never had told him to chill and calm down. She had let him rage until he had no need to rage any longer. He never actually realised how different his life would be, if she hadn’t offered her calming support through all the years he lived in Kirkwall. Their relationship had shattered like a broken glass, but what she’d done for him was undeniable, and he would always be in her debt and grateful.

The elf seemed to calm down a bit. He stopped twisting his fingers. “So you remember nothing and no one?”

“I… had a few memory flashes, but nothing to make a coherent story from.”

“You have a sister.”

Fenris grunted. “So I was told. Then I found her. Then she brought Danarius to me.”

The elf bit his lower lip. “What did she get in return?”

His voice was full of contempt. But not a bit of surprise, Fenris noted. The Tevinter’s eyebrows shot up in curiosity. Was that something typical of her?

“He promised her to make her his apprentice. How did you know it was in exchange for something?”

“Who do you think encouraged you to fight for these markings? Who was happy to become free after you won?” His smile was bitter now. “I think I’d convince you not to go on with this, if not her. Her arguments were closer to your heart. ‘Save mother. Save sister.’ It sounded better and more noble than ‘save yourself’.”

So Nadami was right. Leto had chosen that for his family. It hadn’t been hubris, as Fenris suspected, but sacrifice. And clearly, it wasn’t enough for his sorry excuse of a sister; she wanted more and was ready to sell him out again. He now regretted he hadn’t killed her that day in the Hanged Man.

“What is your name?” Fenris asked him, trying to stifle his anger.

For a moment, he was surprised by the question, but then replied, “Tamrith.”

“I’m sorry about your friend’s death, Tamrith.” He meant that. Leto was dead. The sooner that man accepted that, the better. Fenris was not whom he used to know.

Tamrith nodded. “Tell me one thing. This is actually what I came here for. Not forgiveness. But I’d like to ask– if you would tell me– Do you have a good life now? You are free. Is your life good?”

Fenris looked away toward Zevran and Eeyo. Nadami was nowhere to be seen. He watched them for a short moment, then smiled a tiny smile. “Yes, it is good now.”

“Good; very, very good. I’m glad to hear that.” Tamrith’s eyes followed Fenris’s. “Is he yours?”

“No. He’s an orphan, but he’s under our care now.”

“Are they your family?”

“Yes.” The answer left his mouth without him giving it any thought. It was just as things were, an automatic statement of the fact. “Yes,” he repeated softer, with certainty.

“What happened to Varania? Um, if you don’t mind my asking.”

Fenris found it curious that Tamrith was so interested. He thought it was to the man’s credit that even though his friendship was not mutual, his care not reflected, he still wanted to know if what was left of Leto was happy and well. He had to be a really good friend, and suddenly Fenris felt it would be nice to get to know him a bit better. “I was so furious I almost killed her. My friends stopped me. She left, and I never heard from her again.”

Tamrith nodded. “Danarius is dead, I heard. A few years ago. Not sure it’s true, but I felt great relief anyway. I knew I didn’t have to worry about his trying to re-capture me any more. Not that I was any important, but he didn’t like losing what was his.”

“I know he’s dead. I killed him.”

The elf smiled with satisfaction. “Good. I hope he squirmed like a bug.” He gave Fen’s markings another look. “There is a story circling around about an elf with super powers who killed his master and ran away. I wonder if it’s about you, then.”

“I’ve heard that story. I can’t tell if it is specifically about me, but it roughly tells my story, yes. That said, I first ran away, then killed him years later after my sister brought him to me.”

“That’s why Feynhorn wants you here so much. You’d boost morale! You’re a legend!”

“I have no desire to be one,” Fenris grumbled. He also wondered how he could boost morale, if he had none left for himself. “Why no one can understand this? I will not stay here. I already told him that.”

“So what do you do for living these days?”

“I–” he hesitated, “I help my friends with contracts on slavers.” A mercenary working with a bunch of Antivan Crows. Crazy Antivan Crows.

Tamrith laughed. “And how is that different from what we do?”

The Tevinter’s eyes went to Zevran and Eeyo again. _His_ Antivan Crows.

“Ah, them. They’re that important?”

“Yes.”

Tamrith nodded with understanding. “Fair enough. Treasure them.”

“Do you have any family?”

“Not any more. There was someone but… she died a couple of years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. She was scared, so scared, but bravely pushed on in spite of her fears. I don’t think I’ve seen a more courageous person in my entire life.”

“Sounds like quite someone.”

“She was. She was…” He sighed.

  


**3**

  


Nadami was tired and at this point all she wanted was a warm bed, and to snuggle between her elves. She’d shared as much as she could without risking anyone’s safety with Feynhorn, and now started feeling overwhelming fatigue taking over her body.

Zevran and Eeyo sat away from everyone, chatting. It looked like Zevran was explaining something to the young elf. A Crow lesson in progress.

Fenris was in another corner with the mysterious elf. They sat next to each other, talking. She smiled. She was glad the man had decided to approach Fenfen. The conversation was peaceful, so it seemed like it worked as she’d hoped it would.

She went to Zevran and Eeyo, and sat next to the Antivan. He was speaking, telling Eeyo about one of his past, more complicated contracts and the logistics behind it. Without making a pause in his babbling, he stood up, and sat on the other side of Nadami. She was between them now. He hugged her from behind, letting her lean back on him, while Eeyo moved slightly closer, closing the gap Zevran had left when he’d switched places.

She nestled herself between his arms, closed her eyes, and listened to his voice without listening to what he was saying.

The next thing she was aware of was something rubbing against her nose.

“Wake up, little speckled nug!” Zevran was saying.

She opened her eyes to see Fenris’s green pair staring at her. “Poor thing, she’s so tired.”

“It’s the heat. It’s tiring,” Eeyo said.

“Did I fall asleep? When do we go home?” she asked, trying to sit up. She was still wrapped in Zev’s arms on his chest.

“We can go now,” Fenris said quietly. “But they offered to let us stay for the night.” She yawned. “And I think this is the answer which one we should choose,” he grinned.

They were given a quiet corner in a smaller cave the size of an average room. Thick bear skins were spread on the ground, serving as a bed. Nadami just crawled over there, and felt her eyes closing. She sensed someone laying down next to her, and by the smell of the markings she could tell it was Fenris. Zevran placed himself on her other side, and Eeyo next to the Antivan.

“I miss our bed,” she mumbled quietly.

“Our bed is a mat in a tent, mi amora,” Zevran pointed out.

“No, no. I mean the bed bed. The one we had in the Arainai house. It was so nice and comfortable.”

“At this point I miss any real bed at all,” Fenris grumbled.

“None was as great as that one,” she said.

“I can’t say I disagree. It was a good bed for pleasures, no?”

“For sleeping, Zevran, for sleeping,” she corrected him.

“For pleasures. Sleeping came later.”

“I’m too young to listen to that,” Eeyo giggled.

“In fact, my young friend, you’re the right age. We need to find you a girl. Or a boy. Or both.”

“He’s too young, Zev,” she weakly, sleepily protested.

“Oh? And how old were you when you put that knife to Zev’s throat, mmm?” he teased her.

She didn’t answer, so Eeyo asked, “How old?”

“Sweet, perky seventeen.”

She sighed. She turned her head to look at Fenris. “So how did your conversation with that guy go?” He just lay there on his back with his eyes closed. She watched him for a moment, then whispered, “I can’t tell whether he fell asleep, or just pretends not to answer my question.”

The corner of Fenris’s mouth twitched in the tiniest of smiles.

“You won’t tell me?” she prodded, but he only grunted in reply. She growled back. Her much higher voice was in a stark contrast with his deep rumble. An amused chuckle bubbled in his chest.

She sighed again, turned on her side, and wrapped around the Tevinter’s arm. Zevran spooned her (she felt his hand cupping her breast), and before she knew it, she was asleep again.


	15. Always in the Shadow

**1**

  


“What’s the plan now?” Nadami asked Zevran during breakfast.

The four of them sat in a small circle, away from the others, having some of their own food.

“We’re going back to Minrathous to finally take the magister down,” Zevran replied.

“You have something,” Eeyo said, eyeing him. “I can tell.”

“Not yet,” the Antivan smirked at the smart Dalish. “But I hope to. These people can come handy.”

“I don’t think I like where this is going,” Fenris grunted.

Zevran gave him a long look. “I don’t like what this implies about me,” he said seriously, frowning.

“Handy how?” Nadami asked, hoping this wouldn’t blow into something unpleasant.

The Crow’s attention was back at her. “In two ways. After the magister is dead, and we take all her pretty, shiny treasure, we are also stuck with lots of people who think they need to belong to other people. Someone has to show them otherwise, and I hope Feynhorn will agree to take them under his care.” Fenris’s frown softened. “I also want to ask him if anyone over here is a runaway from Alavia’s gentle care.”

“You don’t want to ask him or her return to that nightmare,” Fenris asked.

“No, naturally not! Not only it would cause suspicions – why a runaway is suddenly back – but for what purpose? No. My hope is that we could get information on her, an insider’s look. Her mansion. Her guards. Her daily schedule. Anything someone who lived in her house could know.”

“Even a runaway could know very little to nothing,” the Tevinter pointed out.

Zevran sighed, clearly slightly annoyed. “Yes, yes, the idea could bear no fruit at all. But I won’t know for sure until I ask, no?”

It seemed Fenris understood his negativity – or perhaps caution – were not adding anything, and that Zevran was aware of a possible downside too. He only nodded, and didn’t say anything more.

Nadami wondered what impact the return to Minrathous would have on Fenris. She knew the suggestion of his staying away from the metropolis would be immediately and categorically rejected, but she hoped it wouldn’t increase his discomfort. Their previous visit was full of triggers and reminders, and she thought even Fenris hadn’t expected it to be so hard on him.

Zevran walked away, and Nadami watched him talking to Feynhorn. From their facial expressions and body language alone she couldn’t tell how it was going. She hoped it’d help the Crow with whatever plan was budding in his head. She had to admit she was growing tired of Tevinter, and longed for a cooler weather and a house to sleep in. Even if a filthy cheap guesthouse, it’d still be better than a cave or a tent in the middle of the forest.

She moved closer to Fenris, who was still sitting near her, staring absent-mindedly ahead of him.

“Coin for your thoughts,” she said, poking him gently.

He gave her a distracted look, and returned to his previous position. “I’m not sure I had any thoughts.”

“Worried about returning to Minrathous?”

He looked at her again. “Not exactly.”

She was curious what that meant, but didn’t want to press. He’d tell if he wanted to.

“We’ve been on the move for so long,” he said after a moment of silence. “Around Ferelden, then Antiva, then here. I think… I think I miss some kind of stability.” He rubbed his face. “I can’t believe I’m saying that. The worst nightmare of my life, and I sit here, missing it.” He sighed. “Every day the same. Every day I knew what to expect. Every day at his mercy. How sick I must be to… feel like this?”

“Fenfen, I don’t think that is what you’re missing,” she said softly. She gestured around. “This is where you grew up – even if you don’t remember that. This is where you formed. This is where you spent long years of your life. It was filled with a lot of bad, but some things had to make a good impression. It’s not surprising you may miss something. The smell of flowers. The way sun feels on your face in the morning. The unbearable heat. The horrible humidity.” He cracked a small smile. “I… I miss slowing down too. To stop and just have the same place each night to sleep. A bed. I miss that damn Arainai house Zevran had to give Turo to keep me.”

“It was a nice, clean house,” Fenris agreed, nodding.

“Eh, what can we do?” she sighed again.

He leant toward her, put his hand at the back of her head, pulled her closer, and kissed. She enjoyed the touch of his fingers, his lips, the smell of his lyrium. But mostly his openness with his affection. That didn’t happen often, and while he tolerated her showering him with her feelings, he rarely reciprocated in public. This little corner in a crowded cave still counted as public.

He looked at her with that adorable pair of mabari pup eyes, and all she wanted was to squeeze him so hard that her arms would hurt. She thought her heart would explode from how much she adored him.

They started packing their belongings, but Nadami watched from the corner of her eye Zevran talking to Feynhorn. She noticed Eeyo hovered in their vicinity, listening to whatever was going on over there. She wasn’t sure it was pure curiosity or hunger for learning how to do Crow things. Perhaps both.

  


**2**

  


The closer they were to the city, the more often Nadami poked Zevran not to repeat his previous way of smuggling weapons inside. She couldn’t, however, propose any other way, so it seemed that they would have to risk Zevran’s safety again. Fenris wasn’t happy about that either, but they couldn’t go in unarmed.

Eeyo approached him. He held a pouch. He weighted it in his hand in front of Fenris. “Is this a lot for Minrathous standards?” he asked.

The Tevinter took the pouch, and looked inside it. It was filled with coin. “How much is in there?” He gave Eeyo a surprised look.

“Let me rephrase it. Is it enough for a bribe?”

“You want to bribe a guard to let us in with the weapons,” Fenris guessed.

“The safest way, right?”

“Where did you get it from?”

“A little bit here, a little bit there,” the Dalish answered vaguely, rolling his eyes.

“In other words, you stole it.”

Eeyo only shrugged.

“It could be enough,” Fenris returned to the original question. “But I am not certain.”

“What happens if he doesn’t want it? Is it worth risking?”

Fenris didn’t know the answer to that. “I suppose it depends on the guard. Some would want to arrest us, some chase away…” He looked into the pouch again. “But I don’t think they make this much, so it should be a tempting offer.” He returned to the pouch to Eeyo.

The Dalish sprang forward. “Zevran! Zevran, let’s try to bribe them!”

“Now, my young friend, that is a delicious idea!”

They decided to go with the bribery as their first option. They also agreed it’d be the best if Nadami presented the offer; Zevran suggested that she could perhaps add batting her eyelashes. Such things usually made things easier, in his opinion. If it didn’t work, it’d be on her to draw the guards away, while the others sneaked in with their weapons.

To Fenris’s surprise, she agreed quite easily. Maybe she was a lot happier to risk her own life and safety while running away from chasing her guards than worry about Zevran doing the same. Or Eeyo, since he volunteered to do that too.

The bribery worked, and everything was going so smoothly that Fenris wondered how soon things would all go shit to make up for it. As he passed by the bribed guard at the city gates, it didn’t escape his attention that the man’s eyes were almost entirely on him, and him alone. One the one hand, it wasn’t surprising. The Tevinter was used to drawing attention with his appearance. On the other hand, it could mean more than ‘you’re one strange elf’, and bring trouble. After becoming a legend, a famed runaway from a powerful and now dead magister, a former slave who never legally gained his freedom, he was never safe. Not in Tevinter, anyway.

They got in, and opted to stay in a tavern that was in a part of the city closest to their target, but still far enough for their rugged presence not to draw any attention. The map they had bought during their first visit was still incredibly useful.

Scrapping for almost the last of their coin, they got Eeyo his own tiny room in the garret, which he welcomed happily. Fenris didn’t know if because it looked to him like he was an ‘adult’ now, or that no one had to worry about their need of intimacy and his presence within the earshot. Most likely both.

Their room wasn’t much bigger but sufficient. It had a bed, a torch mounted on the wall, and a window. Fenris threw himself on the bed, back first, and stretched.

“Do you want to test it?” Zevran asked.

“I am testing it,” the Tevinter replied.

The Crow wriggled his eyebrows. “I mean test it test it.”

Nadami freed herself from her weapons and the backpack, then sat astride on Fenris’s hips, facing him. “I want to test it test it,” she said cheerfully.

Zevran didn’t need to hear it twice.

  


**3**

  


For a long moment, Eeyo enjoyed the view from his very own room.  The tavern had several stories, and the view from the  top one was astonishing. He could see so far away, almost like from a hill!

But he had a matter to attend to. Zevran had told him to go and check whether there were any messages waiting for him. Apparently, since they had to return to Minrathous to complete the contract, he’d never changed the delivery instructions for Rafa.

Still remembering the attempt at kidnapping he’d barely got out of a while back, he hid a dagger in his clothes. Better to be prepared for anything. This was not a safe place for an elf.

He left the tavern, and armed with a map, he headed to  the  mess enger centre.

It was crowded and loud. Not the first time he felt that the massive city, while fascinating, was a little bit too much for him. Sometimes it suffocated him.

He asked the woman at the counter whether there were any messages for Arainai, and she gave him three. Two for Zevran, and one for Nadami. It prompted him to ask whether there were any for Fenris. While he hadn’t expected anything, a separate missive for the Fereldan Crow made him realise that Fen could have gotten something, too.

And he had. Two messages for him.

On his way home he wondered if not to visit  Tantar and his stall of dumplings. He didn’t even try to lie to himself that it was about anything else than the dumplings. He was still bitter at how they all had been treated and kicked out. They’d protected the neighbourhood from slavers kidnapping children, they’ d killed a blood mage who  had sacrificed those kids in her disgusting rituals, and as thanks they  had been thrown out in anger. They deserved better than that.

S till, he wanted the dumplings. And he was also curious if things went downhill after the Crows had left the place. He knew it was not exactly nice, but he felt an ugly satisfaction at the through that they might have. As if the elves deserved that after throwing the  Crows out.

Not even knowing when, he found himself on the market. He didn’t approach Tantar’s stall, though. He just stopped and watched from distance. The merchant was in his usual spot, his stall filled with culinary wonders. But Eeyo didn’t go any closer. He realised he didn’t want to, after all.

He turned and walked away, headed for home.

It was getting dark when he reached their tavern. He went upstairs, put the messages away, and sat by the window again. The view was now drastically different. He could still see the sunset’s light reflecting from tall spires towering over the city. A breathtaking, beautiful view. He wondered how it was possible that Minrathous was such a mix of terrible, ugly, dangerous, beautiful, and majestic. These things shouldn’t go together, and yet they did.

Knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Yes?”

Zevran’s head popped in. “We’re just about to start eating.”

Eeyo smiled. He was hungry.

They went to the other room, which was one floor below Eeyo’s. Fenris was sitting on the bed, cross-legged. Nadami next to him, with her legs tucked under her. The edge of the bed served as a table, as they spread a clean cloth on it. Zevran and Eeyo sat on chairs by the bed, and then the Antivan reached for their food to place it on the cloth. To Eeyo delight, it consisted of a big bowl of salad and a pile of dumplings.

He  handed everyone messages he’d retrieved for them, and they read while eating.  Zevran frowned at his. Nadami seemed to read and re-read hers over and over. Fenris grunted at hi s .

“Since no one loves me and doesn’t send me any messages, can you tell me what’s in yours?” Eeyo said.

“All people who love you are in this room, silly. You want a message? Fine!” Nadami said, grabbed a pencil, and scribbled something on the back of hers. Then handed it to him.

‘Silly Fereldan Crow’, it said. ‘Eat your dumpling.’

He smiled, and returned the paper to her. “What’s in yours?” he asked.

“Nothing special. Turo is still playing an uncle. Also,” she added looking at Zevran, “it looks like Rafa is busy with contracts and doing good business there. I’m not sure, but it looks like Turo feels Rafa is trying to root you out, Zevi. He might not give up his post when you’re back.”

The Antivan smirked. “ Would that be such a bad thing?” he asked, chuckling. Then added, waving his message, “I’ve got here a detailed report on his activities.”

“What’s the other one about? Maybe about the contract on you?” Eeyo asked.

Zevran shook his head. “Sadly, no. But I’ll have to do something for an old friend.”

The silence that followed showed they all expected him to share more, but that was all he said.

“What’s in yours? And who even sends you messages?” Eeyo looked at Fenris.

“A friend,” he replied. Then seeing their looks shrugged, “What? You think I don’t have any friends?”

“Good news?”

The Tevinter sighed. “Not really. Varric got himself involved with that Inquisition business, and there’s real mess going on. He also writes that Hawke went to Anderfels. Hard to tell if she’s even coming back.”

Nadami frowned at that. “Why would you care where is Hawke?” she barked.

Fenris gave her a surprised look. “It’s not like I asked where she was. He just shared it, thinking I’d like to know.”

“And why would he assume you’d like to be up to date with your former lover?” Her voice showed she was upset.

For a moment, Zevran stopped chewing and stared at Nadami frozen. Then frowned, and resumed eating, while Fenris was trying to pacify her.

“I lived in Kirkwall for ten years. You form relationships with people over such time. You are curious how they’re doing, even if you’re not with them,” the Tevinter said evenly. Eeyo knew the calm was forced, though. There was that growl in his voice that always meant trouble to whoever caused it.

“Nothing stopping you from going back,” she said. “Oh, right, she’s not there any more,” she mocked.

Fenris put his food away and looked at her. “Stop that,” he barked.

Eeyo started to regret he’d thought of picking all the messages. “Can you both please stop?” he asked quietly.

Nadami stood up and headed for the door. Before leaving, she turned to look at them. “I can never live up to your great beloved heroes, can I?” she hissed. “I’m not the perfect Hero of Ferelden–”

“Leave me out of this,” Zevran mumbled.

“–nor am I the Champion of Kirkwall. I’m a nobody, who could never live up to be worthy of sidekicks who love their wonderful perfect saviours of the world.”

Before anyone could say anything else, she left, slamming the door behind her.

“Here we go again,” the Antivan sighed. “This keeps returning, no?”

“Well, you both were lovers of very famous, heroic women,” Eeyo said. “Both relationships ended not by your choice. And she has to live in their shadow.”

“But they have ended,” Fenris grumbled. “Why can’t she understand that?”

“Why would she,” Eeyo said. “She fell in love with someone when she was my age. He didn’t love her. She knew he never would. He loved another one. Then the other one died, but he still loved her dead. But Nadami never stopped loving him. She’s been in love with him almost as long as I live.

“And then she fell in love with another one. And y’know what? She didn’t stop loving the first one. Ever. For a second. She’s incredibly lucky she can have both now. And she knows that.”

“What’s your point, Eeyo?” Fenris sounded frustrated.

“My point is, she fell in love twice and never fell _out of love_ ,” he emphasised the last words. “She probably thinks it doesn’t happen. She probably thinks that once you fall for someone, it’s forever, just like it’s forever for her.

“She thinks you still love your heroines. And probably that you’d go to yours, if she only wanted you back. Zevran can’t go to his, so at least on that front Dami is safe.”

Both elves looked at him for a long while, then at each other, then at him again.

“You might have a point,” Fenris admitted eventually.

“Smart kid, no?” Zevran smiled.

The Dalish gave the Tevinter a serious look.  “ Would you?” 

“Would I what?”

“Leave Nadami to return to Hawke.”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

The surprise d , angry and annoyed look Fenris gave him convinced Eeyo. Not that he had  strong doubts, but he also found it weird that the Tevinter would want to keep up with someone who had hurt him so much. Was he not angry any more?

Eeyo looked at unusually quiet Zevran.

“If you ask me this question,” the Antivan said, “I will punch you.”

The Dalish said nothing, and reached for another dumpling.

“I guess I should follow her, and try to pacify her… somehow,” Fenris stood up, sighing. “Leave us some food.”

He left.

“You’re wrong about one thing,” Zevran said quietly, staring at his food. “I always felt affection for her. I just didn’t understand it.”

“Promise me something. Promise me that you won’t let her do something idiotic and get herself killed in an attempt to measure up with your previous lover. I lost two parents, and I don’t want to lose the third one just because the word ‘love’ isn’t in your dictionary.”


	16. A Crow’s Day

**1**

  


Nadami didn’t go far. Fenris found her on the patio on the first floor. To his discomfort, there were some other people sitting on it too, but there was nothing he could do about it.

She stood by the railing, looking at the street below. He approached her, and hugged her from behind, expecting resistance. She offered none, but he wasn’t sure it was because of the other people who’d witness a scene, or her steam was gone by now. He raked aside her hair, and kissed the back of her neck. She tried to move away from his touch, but he pulled her closer, and put his chin on her shoulder. Her hair smelled so nice.

“There is nothing you can say,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he answered.

There was a change in her body. It didn’t exactly tense, but he clearly felt she reacted to his words, even if she didn’t say anything.

At first. Then she snorted with derision.

“I know you are upset, but you have no reason for that. I got an update on all my friends, not just her. Varric works with this Inquisition. Aveline still makes sure Kirkwall isn’t overrun by scum. Sebastian has his city back. Hawke got herself involved with the Grey Wardens, although I don’t know exactly what that means.”

“Maybe she’ll die killing an archdemon, and you’ll mourn her for ten years,” Nadami said grimly.

“Knowing her, she’d try to talk the archdemon out of it, fail, and then a disaster would happen.” Joking was a mistake. Nadami tried to wriggle herself out of his grasp. He held her tight, and she knew she had no chances of leaving until he let her; he was too strong for her, for anyone. “She cheated on me. After all we’ve been through, she cheated. I was ready to stay by her side and build a home, but she cheated. I was angry, furious, hurt. Zevran helped me get over it. Then you happened, and my… wound became immaterial. I’m not angry any more. I can appreciate what we had, but it doesn’t mean I have any feelings left for her. You _must_ understand that.”

She didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he continued quietly. “And I wish I could change that. How do I– How do _we_ assure you that you are the most precious to us? That there is no other woman more important to us than you? This is not a competition. And even if it were… Nadami, you spend your life chasing slavers for no other reason than you want to stop them. For me, you are the greatest hero there can be.”

She harrumphed. He turned her around to face him, but she kept looking down.

“Look at me,” he murmured softly.

“No.”

Her answer amused him, in spite of everything. It was said like a child challenging a parent.

“Look at me,” he repeated.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll make puppy eyes.”

He chuckled, pulled her closer and hugged tightly. “I love you so much that it hurts,” he whispered.

It became so much easier and more comfortable to say this.

He felt her hands on his back, because she finally returned his hug.

“Let’s go eat before Eeyo leaves us no dumplings,” he said.

They returned to the room to see remainder of the salad, and no dumpling in sight. Eeyo was gone too.

Zevran looked at them. “I’ll have to go to do something for a few days,” he said.

“Where do we go?” Fenris asked.

“I must do this alone.”

That was quite unusual, but the Tevinter didn’t press. Nadami normally would, but she was still not fully herself.

They went to bed, but sleep eluded Fenris. His thoughts raced. He thought of what kind of business Hawke could have with the Wardens, and Varric also mentioned and warned Fenris about people called Tevinter Venatori. His messages were brief but they clearly conveyed one truth: the world was in trouble, and the Imperium was again one of main reasons of it. At moments like this he wished this nightmare of the land would just burn and sink in the sea. But what he found most shocking was that Corypheus was somehow still alive, in spite of being slain. Fenris had been there, he’d seen the dead body, so how was it possible? An immortal darkspawn magister?

As his eyes closed, he heard knocking on the door. He got up, hoping it wouldn’t wake up Zevran and Nadami, and slightly frustrated at the interruption at this late hour, opened the door to see who it was.

Hawke.

He stood there, stunned. What was she doing here?

“I can’t compete with her,” she said. She turned, and walked away.

He blinked, confused, then followed her outside.

The night was dark, and the trees didn’t let much moonlight in. He couldn’t see her any more, so stopped to listen to her steps. He only heard a low rumble, and rustling of leaves. Too late he realised something huge was pushing through them, causing the sound.

The magister of old hovered over him. His deformed face stretched in a sneer, his breath foul. Fenris reached for his sword to realise he had none, but he was far from defenceless. He flared up. One magister created him, and he’d use that power to finish another.

“No!” Hawke shouted, then ran to Corypheus, and kissed him.

He returned her kiss, then opened his mouth incredibly wide, and devoured her.

Fenris gasped, and woke up. He sat up, holding his knees tightly to his chest, and breathing heavily. He glanced at both his lovers, relieved to see them sleeping.

He got up as quietly and gently as he could, and left. He needed some fresh air.

The night was cool, and the city quiet. Torches lit the empty streets. He walked ahead, without a goal or direction, just ahead with his eyes on the pavement. Steps in the distance vanished a moment later.

He’d been here. He’d done that. He’d smelled that.

The sudden feeling of familiarity overwhelmed him for a moment. Then it settled. He was getting used to those flashbacks now. So much of his past was lost, but it tried to dig itself out from the oblivion.

The impression was gone almost as suddenly as it’d appeared. It lasted for only a short time, and now he barely could catch it.

He felt a strong need of returning to the tavern. His past was gone, in more ways than one. The now counted. The now was worth living for.

He smiled at his own thoughts: how Zevran-y of him to cherish the moment.

Having cooled down a bit, he returned to the tavern, and went back to bed. In the meantime, Nadami had shifted from her middle more to his side, and Zevran closer to her, so Fenris laid down on the edge, trying not to wake up either of them.

As he made himself comfortable under the blanket, he felt the Antivan spooning him and hugging with his warm arm. The Crow’s nose snuggled just below the nape of his neck, while his soft hair slightly tickled his skin.

“Zev,” he whispered.

“Si?”

“Do you– Do you sometimes have bad dreams?” The Antivan’s past hadn’t been much happier than his, but he dealt with it so much better.

For a moment, there was silence. “I do, mi amor.”

“How do you… get through it?”

Zevran’s arm hugged him slightly tighter. “I wake up. Then I realise it was just a nightmare, and it can’t hurt me. Then I see your white hair in the faint light of the night, and hear Dami’s breathing while she sleeps, and I know life is good, because no nightmare can take that away from me.”

“Something could.”

“Yes, but not a nightmare.”

Fenris turned around to face him. He raked his golden hair away, and gently rubbed his cheek with his finger. “I love you, Zevran.”

The Antivan smirked. “I know.”

The Tevinter chuckled.

He felt Zevran’s fingers travelling down his chest. “I remind you reality is better than dreams, yes?”

Instead of replying, he just kissed him. The unpleasant feeling after his nightmare still lingered, so he welcomed a distraction that would effectively chase it away for good.

  


**2**

  


This was utterly strange, yet satisfying activity: shopping. Their tavern was close to one of merchant hubs of the city, so Nadami came up with the idea of going out for shopping… or window shopping, as it were. Zevran was back from his secret trip – a bit bruised and cut here and there – and her mood had improved since her last outburst, so an activity that was completely useless seemed like something they could fill their time with.

Soon she dragged Eeyo away from the other two elves, and they disappeared in the crowd, whispering to each other.

Fenris and Zevran walked from stall to a stall. Trinkets, pouches, bags, dishes, shoes, and what not. Was this how normal people lived? Fenris wondered. Worked hard, earned coin, spent it on often useless, meaningless trash?

“Look, look at that!” Zevran shouted, drawing Fenris’s attention to a stall with knives.

At first the Tevinter didn’t know what it was about, but guessed a nice dagger had caught Zev’s eye. He was as kin on good blades, as on beautiful men and women. He moved closer to him, then followed his eyes to see a pair of long, elegant knives.

They were dual blades with a longer one below the hilt, and a shorter above. Slightly curved, with a sharp hook, which gave them a distinguished look, and offered more effective attacks. An epitome of deadly weapons.

Fenris rubbed his chin, thinking. He suspected Zevran was already in love with them, but– “They would be wonderful for Nadami,” he said.

A pair of shiny Antivan eyes looked at him. “That’s what I thought! They look just like her! Beautiful, no?!”

“How much?” Fenris asked the merchant.

After hearing the price, Zevran’s face lost its cheerfulness. The Tevinter knew he’d lost some coin two days ago gambling. Fortunately, Fen’s pockets were a bit fuller.

“What are you doing?” Zev asked him, seeing that he took his pouch with coin.

“I’m buying Dami a gift.”

“But I found these sexy knives. They should be gifts from me!”

“You can’t afford them.”

“But I found them. You can’t claim all the credit.”

“I don’t claim a credit. You found them, indeed. Now I’ll buy them for her.”

“But they’re supposed to be a gift from me. What do you know about a well-balanced blade? You run with this massive monstrosity strapped to your back!”

“You. Can’t. Afford. Them.”

“You lend Zev coin, yes?” He fluttered his eyelashes at Fenris.

“No… no, no, no.” The Tevinter felt his resistance weakening. Those huge honey-colour eyes had great power over him. He sighed. “Split to half. One dagger from me, and one from you.”

Zevran’s smile was brighter than his hair.

Fenris hoped such a beautiful and useful gift would finally chase away the clouds that ruined Nadami’s mood.

As fresh as this shopping felt, it very quickly began to tire him, and he wanted to do something more productive.

When they reunited with Nadami and Eeyo, the two seemed giggly, like they had some kind of big secret the other elves were not privy to.

“What you have there?” Eeyo asked, seeing Fenris carrying a big wrap in his hands.

The Tevinter and Zevran glanced at each other, then only smiled mysteriously.

“Fine! We have a secret too!”

Nadami poked Eeyo. “Shhh!”

The Dalish raised his hands up in defence. “I won’t tell!”

“You won’t tell him, but will tell me, yes?” Zevran smirked.

“Nope, she’d kill me, y’know.”

“Eat?” Nadami changed the subject.

“Dumplings!” Eeyo happily exclaimed.

“Soon you’re going to look like one,” Nadami laughed.

They picked up an eatery that looked clean and cheap enough, and settled at one of the small tables, claiming it all for themselves.

  


**3**

  


Fenris, Nadami and Eeyo returned to the tavern for the night, but Zevran wanted to look around. His special interest was in Alavia’s estate. He wanted to see it and study it after sunset, in the conditions they most likely would have to work in.

Following the information and hand-drawn maps he’d got from a runaway from the magister’s loving care, he found the most convenient spot to climb up the wall that surrounded the estate and looked inside.

He’d been warned of magical traps set on burglars and perhaps daring Antivan Crows, so he moved forward carefully, and only if he had to.

He saw a few people walking around. There was a couple tending to flowers in a garden. He wondered why they did it after sunset, when they could barely see. Only the torches they placed in the ground made it possible to work like that.

He noted their presence. This could be a one-off activity, or they tended to some kind of sun-hating plants, and could be here any other evening. He wanted to avoid innocent casualties as much as possible.

He looked up at the house. He knew the magister’s bedroom was on the other side, so no chance to take a peek through her windows from this place. It wasn’t bedtime yet, however, and he thought he’d spotted her downstairs. His attention went to the lit windows and sure, a moment later she moved into his view again. Regal, elegant, mature. He wouldn’t kick her out of his bed. Heavy bosom moved under the soft fabric of her light dress, as she pointed and waved toward someone. She disappeared again, only to become visible a moment later. He guessed she was pacing.

He looked up the roof. Nadami was a good roof jumper, and it could come handy, depending on the construction of the house.

He moved along the wall, grateful it was so thick to offer a convenient, comfortable path, noting anything his experience and instincts told him could be useful, and making sure he wouldn’t fall into any traps. He still had no idea how to bite this pie, but invading her mansion seemed like the least optimal option.

Maybe luring her out? he wondered.

He also paid a lot of attention to other people. Servants, slaves, guards. He planned to poke Fenris for more details how it all looked from their perspective. He knew the Tevinter would grumble, resist, and complain about being prodded for his insights on ‘how it was to be a slave’, but there was no other choice. And he was officially the Crow advisor on this mission, no? Then advise! Zevran could take the grumbling. He loved that grumbling. There was something in Fenris’s voice that set his crotch on fire. More grumbling was a good thing!

Once he familiarised himself with the mansion to a degree that satisfied him for now, he made his way back to the tavern.

There was so much work to do within the next few days.


	17. Cultural Clash

**1**

  


Nadami entered the room and at once could tell Fenris was in a terrible mood. He stood by the window with his arms crossed on his chest, looking outside, wrinkling his nose. For a second she hesitated, but then decided that maybe she just held a key to improving his day.

“Fenfen.”

He looked at her. His frown was deep, and she wasn’t sure if the deep rumbling she thought she’d heard was something outside or bubbling in his chest as a ‘reply’ to her calling him.

“I have something special for you,” she said, stretching her hand with the box on her open palm.

He looked at it, and his frown deepened even more. He slowly, carefully picked up the box, while his lips twisted in an ugly sneer. “What’s this?” he barked.

“It’s– Just open it.”

He did. He took the ring out, looked at it, squinting his eyes, then looked at her through angry, narrow green slits. “Why would you think I’d want this?” he said sharply. His words sounded like an attack. He furiously pushed the ring back in its place inside the box.

Not a reaction she’d expected.

Nevertheless, the reaction she got.

She stood there, staring at him surprised, hurt, shocked even. She had considered the possibility of ‘no’. It was always a risk. But it hadn’t occurred to her that his refusal would be so volatile, as if she offended him.

Her heart sank in her chest, as she searched for words. She had no idea what to say. Apologise? How do you apologise for loving someone this much? Why should you apologise for this?

But then a terrible thought popped in her head. Now her face sneered in contempt. His feelings for Hawke still lingered, in spite of all his assurances. “I suppose that if Hawke gave it to you, you’d take it gladly!” she shouted in his face, grabbed the box from his hand, and stormed out of the room.

  


**2**

  


Zevran was tired. For the first time in his life he felt like taking off his boots and continue walking like an average elf: barefoot. He started climbing the staircase, when he first heard sobbing, then saw Nadami.

He sighed, wondering what had happened this time. He approached her, and sat next to her on the step.

“Dami?” he said softly, putting his arm around her shoulders.

She tried to wipe her tears away but new streamed from her eyes.

“Shhhh, shhhhh…” He tried to calm her down, rubbing her back. After a while he realised she tried to speak, but couldn’t due to sobbing tearing her chest apart. He hugged her, and cradled in his arms, wondering what could have happened to cause this much sorrow.

Eventually she managed to compose herself enough to be able to talk.

“Zevi… Zevi, I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” she said so quietly he could barely hear her. “But it can’t go on like it did before.” She gasped for air, trying not to let the sobbing start again.

“What cannot go on? What happened?”

She looked at him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her cheeks flushed red. “I don’t know what you will do. Whatever you choose, I’ll be happy if you’re happy. But I can’t– I won’t– It can’t continue after this.”

“What can’t continue after what?” he asked confused. She made no sense, but he had a terrible feeling it was about Fenris.

She looked down at her hand, and only now he noticed she squeezed something in it. She opened her palm, and he saw a box on it. He suspected what it was, but took it and opened anyway to make sure. Both the box and the ring itself had Tevinter decorative elements, but their purpose was still very clear: a Ring of Promise.

His eyes opened wider, as he looked at her. “Did he refuse it?” he asked. Now his own voice was barely above a whisper.

She only nodded. He thought she’d start sobbing again, but somehow she kept her composure. She opened her other hand, and there was another box in it. This one was classically Antivan with all the traditional elements: flowers with intertwined stems, birds touching each others beaks, plaited vines.

She didn’t hand it to him, but only kept looking at it on her palm. Maybe she feared he’d also not want it.

But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Suddenly he realised if she changed her mind, if she didn’t want him to have it any more, he’d feel like he’d lost something.

He patiently waited for her to do something, but she sat motionless. After a long while, while worry grew in his heart, he gently touched her hand with the box. “Nadami, mi amora, I wish you gave it to me.” Not very poetic, but he could do poetic only when bullshitting his way. Nadami deserved honest feelings, not fake coating.

She looked at him. Her eyes filled with tears again. “I can’t be– I’ll always love him, but if I’m not enough for him, I can’t– I can’t be with him. Not any more.”

He understood why she hesitated. He had a choice to make. Take the ring from her, and end it with Fenris, or not take it, and let her leave, while he stayed with Fenris. Not a choice he ever wanted to face, but in this case… He and Nadami had such long history, she loved him all her life, and she did nothing wrong. It wasn’t her fault Fenris didn’t want to commit, and he was not about to leave her heartbroken because of the Tevinter’s choice.

He gently took the box from her hand, and opened it. Traditionally there should be a ring in it, but there was an earring instead. It was lovely. Polished to shine, and delicate.

She looked at him. He smiled at her, then kissed her. Her lips were salty from her tears.

He took the other box, and stood up. “Now I want some answers,” he said.

“You can’t force someone to love you. I know that better than anyone.”

He felt a pinch in his soul. He knew it was about him, and his indifference toward her for so many years. He opened his mouth to say that she had made him love her, but caught himself in time. Not now, not funny.

He placed a kiss on top of her head, then went upstairs to find Fenris by a window, watching the sunset, or someone or something outside.

“I only want to know one thing,” he began, and to his surprise his voice was angry and harsh. “Did you refuse her because she isn’t enough, or because it’s too soon or too much for you?”

The Tevinter looked at him confused, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

Zevran stretched his hand with the box in it.

“Ah, this,” Fenris muttered, then turned his head to look outside again.

“Well? Which is it? She’s not good enough or you’re not good enough?”

“Why are you making such fuss about it?” Fenris said angrily. “She misses Ferelden, and can’t understand I don’t miss Tevinter. I don’t need any mementos from the Imperium. Melt this thing for all I care. Sell it. Make a good coin.”

“This is what it’s worth to you? Some coin?” Zevran felt fury taking over him. He’d made the choice of taking Nadami’s Ring of Promise knowing what it meant ending it between him and Fenris with a heavy heart, but right now it felt like it was the easiest thing in his life. When did Fen turn into such a jerk?

“No!” Fenris’s bad mood turned into hot rage. “This thing is worth nothing to me. Less than coin. I’ll gladly pay someone to take it away from me!”

“How dare you!” Zevran shouted. So this was his answer. Nadami was worth nothing to him. No surprise he wouldn’t want to spend his life with her.

That took Fenris aback. His frown dissolved into astonishment, as his eyebrows shot up and his eyes opened wider.

The Antivan stifled his anger, and forced his voice to calm down. “I have only one more question. If I gave it to you, would it make a difference?”

He expected what he’d hear in reply.

“Why would it be any different?” Fenris seemed genuinely amazed at the question.

Until this evening, he’d never think this possible. But right now it was exactly what he thought he’d hear.

‘When did that happen?’ he wondered. ‘When did all the affection disappear?’ He lowered his head. “If we are not enough for you, then this is over. No sense in wasting time, no?”

“Fasta vass, aren’t you both overreacting a little bit?” Fenris’s anger returned with force. “It’s just a stupid ring. I can’t even wear them, and Dami knows that very well!”

Zevran blinked, then inclined his head to one side, and watched Fenris carefully. A seed of hope started sprouting in his heart.

“Fenris,” he began, “do you know what this is?” He raised his hand with the box.

The Tevinter shrugged with frustration. “A box with a ring.”

The Antivan shook his head. “The Antivans are passionate people. We do stupid things for love. Also against our parents wishes. So many ran away to marry in secret. They can’t go to a chantry, so they give each other Rings of Promise. It’s as good as chantry,” he smirked, “even if clerics disagree.”

Fenris raised both his hands, palms facing Zevran, as if in a defensive move. “Wait, wait, wait! What are you saying?”

“Nadami’s parents probably exchanged them too, considering they were both runaways and in a strange land of Ferelden.”

“She– She asked me to– Proposed to me and I– I yelled at her.” He covered his mouth with his hand.

They looked at each other for a moment, then Fenris ran toward Zevran, pulled him to himself, and kissed. Then he grabbed the box with the ring for him, and left the room in the hurry. Zevran hoped it was to fix what had been broken in a misunderstanding.

He closed his eyes, and sighed with relief. Crisis averted, love still in the air.

He put the Ri– Earring of Promise from Nadami on his ear. It felt so good!

  


**3**

  


Nadami was outside, sitting by the entrance to the tavern. She didn’t look good, so Eeyo went to see what was going on. Probably she’d had a fight with Fenris about some stupid silly thing. The Tevinter had been in a dreadful mood the whole day, so setting him off was super easy.

She looked up at him as he approached, and patted a place next to her. “Sit, we need to talk.”

It sounded serious, and he didn’t like that at all.

He sat. “Is it about the Rings?” he asked.

She nodded. “Fenris refused his. Violently,” she added.

Eeyo eyebrows drew together in a worried frown. “So what now?” he asked, even though he suspected what it meant.

She looked at her feet. “I can’t be with someone who shouted “not a chance” when I asked him to marry me,” she sighed.

“But why? He loves you so much. They both do!”

She only shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t see that coming.” Another sigh. Or maybe a stifled sob. “I was sure they both would accept it. I was an idiot. He only wants one woman, and it’s not me.”

Eeyo didn’t know what to say. Nadami looked at him; her eyes were full of tears. “This all means that Fenris won’t be with us. Zevran accepted his Ring. But we can’t be together if one doesn’t want to be with another. Fenris made his feelings clear.”

“I’m so sorry, Dami.” There was so much pain in her face, so much disappointment. There weren’t any words he could say that would take that suffering away.

The door to the building opened, and Fenris left. He looked around, then noticed them. He looked slightly bewildered.

“Can I talk to her alone?” he said to Eeyo.

The Dalish got up, and stood between him and her. “I think you already said and did enough today,” he said sternly.

“Eeyo, please.”

He held his ground, and crossed his arms on his chest, defiantly looking into Fenris’s eyes.

The Tevinter seemed to hesitate for a moment, then bit his lower lip, and headed toward Nadami around Eeyo. The young elf tried to stand in his way, but Fenris grabbed his arms, and lifted him, then put aside, out of his way.

“It’s okay, Eeyo,” Nadami said quietly.

“I’ll be around. If you need me, call,” the Dalish said, then went into the building.

  


**4**

  


Fenris felt like a pile of crap, seeing what he had unwittingly done to her.

He sat next to her. He wanted to hug her tight until it hurt, but didn’t dare to touch her until it was clarified.

“I’m from Tevinter,” he said.

“I thought your land of origin was slave-land,” she mumbled bitterly.

He deserved that, he knew it. He smiled sourly. “Probably.” After a pause, he continued. “I’m not Antivan. I don’t know much about Antivan customs. I have never heard of a Ring of Promise before.” He opened his hand, in which he held the box. “I didn’t know what you were giving me. I didn’t understand what you offered.” His voice was a whisper now. “I thought it was some silly Tevinter trinket you found, and thought I’d enjoy.” He paused again. “Even if so, a ‘thank you’ would be an appropriate answer.” He opened the box, and looked at the ring. It was small, too small for his fingers, he now realised. There was a chain made of hearts engraved on its outer side. “I would be honoured if you allowed me to accept it. It would make me very happy, if I could keep it for all it means.”

She raised her head to look at him. Her swollen puffy face and thick red eyelids told him the full story of what he’d put her through.

“Even if it’s too late,” he went on, “even if I hurt you too much, and it can’t be repaired, I will keep it. And I will live by it, even if I can’t live by your side.”

She gasped, trying to swallow a sob, and her eyes filled with tears. He moved slightly closer intending to wipe them with his hand, but she wrapped her hands around his body. He enveloped her in his arms, mumbling apologies and begging for forgiveness.

She moved away, then reached around his neck… and to his shock she took off the neck chain, on which he wore the first ring she’d given him. He’d also stupidly refused that one back then. He still regretted that day, and now had done exactly the same thing, just a lot worse.

A breath caught in his chest. So she forgave him, but the damage was irreparable. It was over. Dami, Zevran – past. He ruined it. There were limits to how much beating her heart could take, and he crossed them. Now she was taking away what she’d given him.

She took the ring from the box, put it on the chain, then put the chain back around his neck.

He could breathe again! He looked at her face, still lovely in spite of crying so much. He felt like he didn’t deserve her. This woman was a raw emotion, raw, unapologetic love, and he could barely show her how much she meant to him.

Finally he did what he wanted to do: pulled her close and hugged, pressing to his body. She smelled with sweat, sun, and fruity soap.

He heard quiet steps, so he looked up to see who it was. He expected Eeyo to come and check up on Nadami, but it was Zevran.

The Antivan sent him a lovely, happy smile that deepened the wrinkles around his eyes. “Love prevailed, yes?” he asked cheerfully, sitting next to Nadami. He rubbed her back.

“Are we all married now?” Fenris asked.

“Too late to back out!” Zevran warned him, laughing.

“Good! Now you’re both mine forever.” He felt Nadami hug him tighter. Then her grasp abruptly softened. “Dami?” He put his fingers under her chin to raise her head, and look into her eyes. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Why no more strong hug?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

He smiled. Raw love. Raw care.

“Puppy eyes,” she grinned.

“Let’s go home. We can celebrate inside, yes?”

They followed Zevran’s suggestion, and returned home.

Eeyo was making a table – or more accurately, a bed – for the evening meal. He looked at them, when they entered. “I kill him or feed him?” he asked, glaring at Fenris.

“Feed,” the Tevinter replied.

“I want to hear that from her!” The Dalish pointed at Nadami.

She smiled. “Feed.”

He stopped what he was doing, and gave them a very attentive look. “Does it mean you’re all sort of married now?” He squinted his eyes, as they moved from face to face.

“What have I done!” Zevran mocked panic, slapping his palms on his cheeks.

Eeyo stretched his arms, pulled all three of them together, and gave them a strong hug.

“I like how protective you are of her,” Fenris mumbled to him.

“And don’t you ever forget it,” the Dalish replied. He probably tried to sound seriously and dangerously, but he was too happy and fooled no one.

Still, Fenris’s words were honest. Nadami deserved someone to protect her feelings… even from him. Especially from him.

As they ate their meal, the Tevinter’s feeling of belonging settled with him, and gave him comfort. He was fully aware he could be a pain in Andraste’s knickers sometimes, but if Nadami and Zevran still wanted him after this last stunt, then he knew the was the luckiest elf in Thedas.


	18. Calm Before the Storm

**1**

  


Zevran woke up. Barely. He was not sleeping any more, but he didn’t open his eyes yet. Warm bed, bliss of an early morning, aching muscles…

Aaah, the muscles. He dreamily sighed, and slowly stretched, enjoying the feeling of his bones and tendons crackling inside of him after pleasurable exertions of the previous night. He opened his eyes and looked at his arm. As expected, a purple bruise was visible under his dark skin. He smiled. He placed his fingers in the same spots that Fenris’s had been. The memory made his smile wider. The Tevinter liked it a bit rough, a bit fast, a bit heated; it was one of the first things Zevran had discovered about him that first night when Fenris had seduced him to his bedroom. Always a lot gentler with Nadami, he hadn’t held himself back or kept his superior strength in check after the Antivan had made it clear not just that he wouldn’t mind, but enjoy whatever was coming.

And he did enjoy it! Fenris’s roughness wasn’t brutality, but impatience. He wanted everything and he wanted it now. Zevran had slept with many men in his youth, but Fenris was definitely the one he enjoyed sharing his body with most. The purple signs left on his arms, legs and probably other places he couldn’t see were like a badge: ‘I’m his’. Since the last night that meaning of belonging was even deeper than before.

And if all that made Fenris feel in control, all the better. After Fen’s not being a master of his own mind, destiny, and body for so many years, Zevran was willing to give him command of his own body to make up for that. He trusted the Tevinter not to abuse this power, especially seeing the consideration he showed Nadami’s sensitive skin. There were no bruises on hers, and she could bruise after being breathed on.

‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, Zevran, you’re so mature now,’ he internally laughed at his own thoughts. Sex used to be for fun, a pleasure to enjoy when available, a distraction from everything ugly and unpleasant around. And now? Now it was almost spiritual and mended wounded souls.

He turned on his other side to face Nadami. She was still asleep; her breath was calm and even. Her hair a complete mess. He gently caressed her shoulder. Her skin was cool, so he pulled up the blanket to cover it. Then his hand slid under it, travelled to her elbow, hip, then back up to her small breast that perfectly fit into his hand.

Looking back at the last night, he decided it had been a proper celebration of their marriage of three. Why to marry if not to enjoy the pleasures of the body with the Maker’s blessing, no?

He sat up. He noticed the daggers he and Fenris had bought for Nadami were still wrapped in the fabric they’d brought it in. Zevran had assumed that Fenris had given them to her while he’d been running the favour for Leliana, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Did he wait for Zev’s return, so that they could do it together? That was very thoughtful of him.

“Good morning,” Fenris whispered behind him.

He turned to look at him, and smirked. “A wonderful morning, no?”

The other elf smiled back. “Does it hurt?” he asked a moment later, seeing the bruises. His smile faded a little.

“Yes, and I love it.”

“You… love it…” Fenris repeated slowly with a clear doubt in his voice.

“What’s pleasure without a spice of a little pain, mmm?”

“Full pleasure?”

Zevran crawled to him, trying not to step on Nadami on his way. They kissed for a long time. Then cuddled, and while laying in Fenris’s arms, the Crow was thinking how strange it was to be able to call the Tevinter his husband.

He noticed Fenris was absent-mindedly sliding his finger up and down one of the tattoos on his shoulder. Not for the first time. He didn’t have to look to get the shape right; the tattoo’s shape was carefully designed to cover a nasty, ugly scar Zevran had gotten many years ago. Now he felt exposed, as if Fenris had found his little secret. This small gesture without a meaning always made him feel self-conscious about all the defects he’d collected in his line of work. So many of his tattoos were to hide what was ugly.

The Tevinter looked at him, smiled, and kissed him. His hand moved lower, so that he could pull Zevran closer to himself, and didn’t return to the scar.

The Antivan leant on his elbow to look at Fenris’s face. He moved his finger up the warrior’s nose to its wide bridge and frown wrinkles. He rubbed his forehead with his thumb, raking his white bangs aside. Fenris’s face was a definition of mature handsomeness, and Zevran never tired of looking at it.

“You didn’t give her the gift yet?” he asked.

“Not without you. I thought you’d kill me if I gave her the ‘sexy daggers’ by myself.”

“A good wedding gift, yes?”

“It’s handy now indeed. She gave us rings, we give her murder weapons.” He picked up his neck chain, and looked at two rings on it.

Nadami sat up abruptly, startling both elves a little.

She looked at them with webs on her sleepy eyes, and ginger bird nest on her head. “What you give me?” she asked in a voice that also hadn’t woken up yet.

Zevran crawled off the bed, and took the wrapped weapons. He put the bundle in front of Nadami, but she seemed more interested in his body. Her finger traced his tattoos and scars. Then her other hand moved to the Tevinter’s body, and she traced his markings.

“Does it hurt now?” she asked Zevran, gently hovering her fingers over his fresh bruises without touching them.

“Now? You think they didn’t hurt before?”

“Well,” she gave him a naughty grin, “when you wrestled to free yourself from his grip, and utterly failed each time, you laughed so happily I didn’t think making them was unpleasant. But here’s a price for your… for umm… for that.”

Zevran wriggled his eyebrows as the reply.

She rubbed their skins again, one hand each.

“Mine!” she shouted happily. “Both mine!”

Fenris fell back on his back, chuckling. Then leant on his elbow again. “Unwrap it.”

She slowly removed the fabric, and gasped loudly when she saw what was hidden in it. She gently picked up one dagger, and neared it to her face to study closer.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered.

“Zevran, there is something under the bed,” Fenris said.

“Yes?” The Antivan looked under it, thinking the other elf dropped something. He saw another bundle. It looked suspiciously like Nadami’s. He pulled it out, placed on the bed next to hers, and unwrapped it.

His blades had more golden look, and the pommel was covered by a green wrap and decorated by two black crow feathers each, while Nadami’s was dark red with a fake red gem on a short chain.

“Do you have a giant version of one for yourself?” the human asked Fenris.

“No, I fight with a real weapon, not toys.”

Both Crows puffed, faking offence at his words, then burst into laughter seeing each other’s identical reactions.

Zevran had enough of teasing for one morning. He quickly removed the daggers from the bed.

“What? Why?” Nadami tried to protest, but then had to understand the reason, since he was completely nude, and went silent.

They celebrated their union a little bit more before getting up for the day.

  


**2**

  


Zevran went for another reconnaissance trip to Alavia’s estate, and this time decided to take Eeyo with him. The Dalish was happy to go.

“Never rush to a target,” the Antivan was saying. “Gather information first. If it’s urgent, gather it quickly. The point is to eliminate your mark effectively, and survive. You can’t feel satisfaction from a successfully completed contract and get paid, if you’re dead.”

Eeyo nodded, absorbing the information. ‘Kill, don’t get killed’. It was logical enough.

“Zevran,” he said after a moment of silence.

“Mmm?”

“Would you sleep with me?”

The Crow froze in place, half-making a step. Then slowly turned to Eeyo to look at him with widely opened eyes, and brows raised high.

The Dalish realised his question had been misunderstood. “No, no, I don’t mean it like that,” he said quickly. “I’m not asking you to do it. I mean theoretically: am I handsome enough for you to consider it, if you met me?”

Zevran smiled a big, wide smile, and winked at him. “My young friend, you’re such a pretty elf I would not just consider it, but actively try to seduce you.”

“You would? How can you tell I’m attractive?”

“I have eyes, no?”

“That’s not an answer. I have eyes too, and I can’t tell. I just look… I don’t know, normal.” He shrugged.

“It’s normal to you, because you’re surrounded by such gems like Nadami, Fenris and I. We’re all very pretty.”

“Uhm,” Eeyo harrumphed, unconvinced.

“Look at you,” Zevran touched the ends of his long hair. “Your lavish hair is the same beautiful colour as chestnuts. Magnificent! It even shines the same way in the sun. Your eyes are like deep lake on a bright day: endless blue water. Your lips are full and soft. You’re fit, and not a sign of all the dumplings you ate. You’re a gorgeous specimen of an elf.”

“Who is prettier, you or me?”

“Aaaah!” Zevran wagged his finger at him, laughing.

Eeyo laughed too.

“Now let me ask you a question, my young friend,” the Antivan said, eyeing him. “What prompted that question?”

The Dalish only shrugged.

“Did someone catch your eye?” Zevran didn’t give up.

Eeyo’s answer was another shrug, which also was slightly more irritated than the previous one, as he belatedly realised. Zevran smirked at him, but didn’t say anything more.

Alavia lived like rich people lived: in perfect comfort. Eeyo couldn’t even imagine the wonders that could be found inside her little fortress. Precious objects, soft furniture, bruised and beaten up slaves.

He had his own opinion on the rich and noble-born. He hated them. Their fortune was always built on someone’s misfortune, on someone else’s back, on someone else’s misery, and here in Tevinter that was the most obvious, because those doing the work weren’t paid even the same little people in the South were. The injustice angered him. He understood his feelings were futile, and things couldn’t be changed, but it didn’t mean he shouldn’t be outraged by it.

Zevran stopped, and looked up. Eeyo didn’t know what had drawn his attention. He just stood right behind the Antivan’s shoulder and followed his gaze with his own eyes.

Confused, he stared at the clear sky. Was Zevran even looking at something, or just thinking? Or perhaps listening? The Dalish concentrated on the sounds, but it was all a messy cacophony of city noise.

“Zevran?” he whispered. “Is something wrong?”

The Antivan didn’t answer at first. Then looked at Eeyo. “Hmm? No, no.” Then resumed his walk without any more word.

The Dalish found that odd, but didn’t press. He followed Zevran, having a strange feeling of uneasiness.

“Pay attention to your surroundings, not me, mmm?”

Apparently, Zev had eyes at the back of his head!

Eeyo cleared his throat, embarrassed.

But he knew something was wrong.

  


**3**

  


Zevran had that feeling… that instinct something was off. He learnt to trust it. He’d had it with Rinna before that fateful decision; he’d had it with Nimloth before she sacrificed herself never telling him that was how it was suppose to end; he’ d had it with  Fabio when the Crows had almost succeeded in taking him down.

He had it now. Something was in the air. His hair tingled.

It could be the difficult task they fac ed . It could be the still unresolved contrac t  on his head. It could be this place. Tevinter was not a good place to be for a  handsome elf…  and there w ere three of them. Nadami was not much safer herself.

H e sighed. All he wanted right now was to return to Antiva, its beautiful cities, its assassins,  and its warm rains.  Even warmth in Tevinter felt cold.

H e saw Fenris in a vicinity. The Tevinter had offered to check possible escape routes from the estate.  Different ones for the team, separate from those intended for the freed slaves.  Zevran wasn’t keen on it, worried that Fen’s appearance would draw attention from wrong people, but he couldn’t deny this kind of prudence was needed. Their mission could fail, and any of them could be lost  in the process.  The Antivan knew he couldn’t take more loss in his life. Two was already too many.

H e led Eeyo to a complex of buildings that was surrounded by trees with thick foliage. He casually leaned against one, and looked at the young elf.

“This tree. I checked it a few nights ago, and when you climb it two-thirds from the ground, you get a good view of the back garden, the slave cottage, and several rooms through its windows. She usually spends her evenings in one of them.” Eeyo nodded, absorbing the information. “You will have to be there, in place, ready with the bow. You’re the backup, and also the protector. Your job will be keeping everyone away from her room. And I mean everyone,” he repeated, looking intensively at his friend.

Eeyo frowned. Zevran didn’t know if he was still bothered by the bodyguard slave he’d killed, but he didn’t want that to become a problem when their lives depended on it.

“Set aside your feelings,” he said seriously. “You’re an assassin, and your task takes precedence over everything. Casualties can be avoided, but if there is no other way, then there is no other way. Never forget that. Keep your mind on the target.”

“I’ll try.”

“No, no trying, my friend. Your failure can cost any of us their life. It would be a choice: an innocent or us. It could be all three of us.”

Eeyo bit his lip. “I won’t allow anything bad to happen to you,” he said.

Zevran’s expression softened. He smiled. “Put your feelings into a drawer, and lock it.”

“Like you do?”

“Like I do.”

“If I may… I don’t see your feelings in any drawer if it comes to Nadami and Fenris.”

The Antivan’s left eyebrow raised, stretching his tattoos. “I’m talking about targets and secondary casualties, not the team.” He stopped. “If you have to kill bystanders to complete the contract, and protect your team, you must do it, Eeyo,” he said seriously. “If you can’t, it’s better that I know that now, yes?”

The Dalish looked both taken aback and annoyed. “I get it, all right? I get it!”

Zevran watched his face for a while, trying to read it, then finally saw what he was looking for: determination. Satisfied, he resumed his walk.

  


**4**

  


Fenris studied the neighbourhood of the estate in detail. Such preparations weren’t a completely new thing to him. When still on the run, he’d always first check his escape routes, and then rent a room. Saved his skin on more than one occasion. Now, when it wasn’t just about his own skin, he wanted to be double prepared.

There was something he wanted to ask Zevran, but he worried his request would be denied. It was also possible Nadami would want the same, and she was probably more in the right to be granted it. She was a Crow now.

Still, he felt like it should be his right.

He noted a couple of possible escape routes, on which they shouldn’t draw attention. Crawling in backstreets behind shops would at most wake up vagrants, and those weren’t anything to worry about.

To make sure those indeed were good options, he went in. The last thing they needed was getting caught in a dead end with guards or soldiers chasing them. A door opened and a woman almost emptied a bucket filled with human waste on his feet. She stopped herself just in time, then looked up, snorted, and upturned the bucket into a gutter. She made sure not to splash her skirt, but didn’t give his legs as much consideration. He moved away just in time.

After confirming that both alleys were sufficient for their purpose, he returned to the main street. People moved out of his way, but he ignored their curious glances. He got used to staring over the years, and now – years after Danarius’s death – they were also a lot less dangerous. This was Tevinter, however, so he didn’t allow himself to fully relax. He could still be a tempting target, especially if it was known that his original master wouldn’t come for his property.

He found another alley that could be an escape route.


	19. Magister’s Unremarkable Downfall

**1**

  


A dark shape in a dark corner didn’t draw the guards’ attention. They passed by it, not too far away, and didn’t look toward it. Once it was safe, the shape moved, revealing a pair of big light-brown eyes that watched the leaving men.

Once  they were  out of his sight, he unwrapped his cape, and moved toward the gate. He knew there were  two more guards over there, but it was a lot easier to take down two, instead of four, especially with  armed to teeth lovely company.

T he street was empty. This part of the city was a lot calmer at night than in other districts. It appeared the citizens avoided it either not to get in trouble or  not  to cause trouble. One didn’t just annoy a magister and survived that.

Still hiding in shadows, he moved soundlessly. Oh, it felt so good! The thrill of sneaking  unnoticed to your prey, the satisfaction of a good kill… 

His trained eyes spotted another quietly moving blob of a shadow. She was exactly where and when she was supposed to be. He made a mental note to tell her later what a great pleasure it was to work with her. Her father had trained her well in the Crow craft.

Fully aware she most likely couldn’t see it, he smiled at her. Her almond-shaped green eyes narrowed to slits: she smiled back. His heart wanted to explode from how much he lover her. When they were done, and she was still full of vigour after an exciting kill, he planned to make love to her all night.

When he was in the position, she left her safe spot, and became more visible in the faint light of the night street. She made a noise, and drew the guards’ attention. They turned toward her, which was the moment for Zevran to sneak behind them, and silence them permanently. Stabbing through throats from behind made it impossible to scream or call for help. Choking on their blood, they fell, and soon died. Each was pulled into a shadow not to draw unnecessary attention, in case any lost passers-by happened to be around after all. Now the time started ticking: they had time until the other two guards return from their patrol.

They got into the garden, and the huge mansion’s full glory was right before their eyes.

  


**2**

  


Fenris put his hand gently on Tamirth’s. The other elf looked at him.

“Just follow me,” he said quietly. “If anything happens, just hide behind me.”

He could  still feel the tremble in Tamrith’s hand, but it seemed to diminish a little. His old friend was not a  warrior .

“Yeah.”

“You’re here just to lead them to safety. No fighting for you. I’ll make sure of that,” Fenris assured him.

“Yeah.”

Over the last couple of weeks, and especially the last few days when they planned all the details of the operation, he felt himself drawn closer to his old friend. Apparently, regardless of which life of his it was, they had enough in common to find things to talk about, and to enjoy each other’s company. Tamrith had volunteered to be here now, and Fenris was grateful to have his help.

H e knew Zevran and Nadami weren’t late, but the wait in still silence made hi m restless. He wanted it to start already, and  he craved to  jump into action.

He, Tamrith, and one other elf he didn’t know were waiting for their turn in the Big Plan that Zevran had concocted. Once inside the premise, the Crows’ first task was to make an opening for him. What it was exactly had to be improvised, but its purpose was clear: to get the servants and slaves to the other side of the wall that surrounded the mansion by other means than the main gate. Fenris needed to keep an eye on two guards, who were circling it in an erratic – so hard to predict – fashion to make sure they wouldn’t alert anyone inside on what was happening. Tamrith and his companion were to take the runaways to safety, and eventually to the rebel base. Fenris hoped there wouldn’t be much resistance. He knew some people, due to desperation, sold themselves to this fate, and those might not be so willing to go, but they had to. Either that or…

The lives of the rest couldn’t be risked because of them.

A shriek of a cat somewhere in the distance startled Tamrith. He gave Fenris an embarrassed look, but the warrior only smiled at him reassuringly.

  


**3**

  


Zevran and Nadami moved along the wall to the left side from the house. Most of the mansion was lost in darkness, but there was flickering light in some of the windows. It gave enough light for the assassins to see, but not too much to reveal their presence.

They both stopped at the same time, alerted by approaching steps. Hidden in shadows, they waited for them to pass by, then disappear in distance. She enjoyed the short stop with her body pressed to his. She felt warmth coming from him, but wasn’t sure it was really there, or just her imagination as a result of her own excitement and the thrill shining in his eyes.

They resumed, and soon arrived to a dead body in armour with an arrow in his neck. They looked at each other, and smiled.

“Eeyo’s cleaning a path for us,” Zevran whispered.

Nadami looked around to check, if there were any other arrows. It wasn’t just curiosity to see if he’d taken down the guard with his first shot, but also to remove any laying around arrows. No one needed to find that in the most inconvenient moment. Zevran was already pulling the body into a deeper shadow to make sure it wouldn’t alert anyone prematurely.

They arrived to the back side of the wall. Now was the time only luck would help with their plan. Nadami’s heart beat fast; she wasn’t sure how much faith she had in Zevran’s luck, but he was certain it would somehow work out.

He waved at her to follow him, and they went to barrels and wooden boxes. The barrels were full of seeds or something similar, Nadami couldn’t tell for sure, while the boxes were filled with gardening tools. They quickly assessed the weight, removed some of tools and knocked over the barrels to empty them from their content, then stacked them up to create a path over the wall.

Zevran climbed up, slightly jumping on each step to make sure it held weight of a person, then stayed on top. A few moments later Fenris’s head appeared from the other side of the wall. The Antivan kissed him on the tip of his nose, then climbed down. The other elf followed.

Nadami noticed his clothes were splattered with blood.

He noticed her asking look. “The other guards are dead. They’re not a treat any more. I’m going with you.” His tone of voice didn’t allow any disagreements.

In the meantime, Tamrith climbed down on their side of the wall. Zevran told him to wait here in the darkness, then lead the runaways-to-be to safety.

Nadami caught the Antivan’s expression. His lips were stretched in that cocky smirk, and his eyes shone with excitement. This whole endeavour was dangerous, but for him it was fun. He enjoyed every moment of it, especially since everything was going so smoothly. So far.

The three of them circled the house from the other side. They entered it through a window that should be within Eeyo’s field of vision. Zevran went in first, and before Nadami was also fully inside, she heard him whisper. At first she couldn’t make out the words, but then she realised he wasn’t whispering to her.

A scared woman approached the window. “Take her to safety,” Zevran ordered.

Fenris was inside the room by that time, and looked expectantly at Nadami. Then followed the Antivan. With a sigh, she accepted she was the one to make sure the woman wouldn’t raise alarm, and to lead her back to Tamrith.

On their way out, she tried to explain to the woman she was just about to become a free person. She wasn’t sure the slave – by now she was certain she was a slave not a servant – even understood what she was trying to tell her. The elf was clearly scared, didn’t question her, and followed to the back garden, but it looked like she just listened to orders of another human. Fenris has told her this could happen; in fact he said most of the slaves could be like that. Seeing it made Nadami both sad and furious. How could people be torn to such a state when they had no will of their own left at all.

Tamrith took the elf under his care. Gentle and a fellow elf. Nadami hoped the slave would feel more confident, and less obliged to follow orders now that she was with one of her own. He led her across the wall, where his comrade would assure her freedom.

More to come.

  


**4**

  


Eeyo didn’t allow himself to feel bored. His lack of attention could kill his family, and that was a big no-no. The biggestest no-no. So he constantly scanned the mansion, the garden, and the windows with his eyes. He’d killed a guard inside. He’d noticed some movement near the back wall, although it was too dark to see the details. He hoped it was the case also from windows of the house.

Finally he saw Zevran and Fenris on the first floor in one of the lit by torches rooms. He looked into the room between them and the magister to make sure there weren’t any dangers waiting for them. He saw two people in there. He couldn’t tell what they were doing, but it seemed they were servants or slaves, fulfilling menial tasks within the mansion.

He raised his bow. They were innocent. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They weren’t a threat by intent. But their reaction to two armed men entering the room could be loud, and alert more guards or even the magister, who he knew was right there in the adjacent room.

He could not allow that. He could not allow Zevran and Fenris be surrounded, captured, killed. He took two arrows from his quiver, and holding both in his right hand that pulled the bowstring, placed one across the bow and aimed. His target fell on the floor, startling the other one. Before she could raise alarm, the other arrow was already on its way to her chest.

“Please forgive me,” he whispered to himself. Tears filled his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. It was not the time for this. He needed to focus, and see clearly. Their lives depended on it. He had a lifetime to feel like dragon poop for this later.

Squashing the guilt in his heart, he concentrated on the windows.

He wished he could just shoot the magister dead like that too, but she wasn’t visible through the window. Sometimes only her hand, when she was reaching for a wine glass on a small table.

  


**5**

  


Fenris felt exposed in all this light. This wasn’t how sneaking should be. Fortunately, the house was quiet, so it looked like the majority of its inhabitants were asleep.

He and Zevran entered the next room to find two bodies there. Both dead by arrows.

“Eeyo’s been busy,” the Antivan noted with a tad of admiration in his voice.

“Were their deaths really necessary?” Fenris grumbled.

“You really think Eeyo would kill them for fun?” Zevran mocked him.

“No, I suppose not,” the Tevinter admitted. Eeyo was not the kind that enjoyed bloodshed, and definitely not someone who would murder indiscriminately.

T he Antivan neared his ear to the magister’s room. “Quiet,” he mouthed without making a sound.

Fenris grabbed his arm, and pulled him away from the door. This was it. This was the moment to ask.

“Zevran, please let me kill her.” His lover gave him a surprised look. “It’s very important to me. Just this once, just this magister. Please, let me do it,” Fenris pleaded with him. He wasn’t a Crow, and it was a Crow contract, but did it really matter who took her life? He didn’t care if Zevran or Nadami or Eeyo claimed the kill officially. All he wanted was to see the light go out of the mages eyes.

The Antivan stepped back, and bowed, making an inviting gesture. Fenris smiled at him gratefully, then entered the room.

As he went in, he flared up. It was an involuntary reaction this time, a reaction to her presence, but he didn’t stifled it.

The mage was sitting among soft pillows in a deep chair, reading. She looked at him from above her book. At first seemed surprised by the presence of unknown face in her personal chambers, but she quickly composed herself. She stood up, and watched him while he circled her slowly from distance.

“I remember you,” she said. “You’re Danarius’s little pet.”

“I’m no one’s pet,” he growled in a low, threatening voice.

She smiled mockingly, but didn’t answer. She looked around. “Nobody coming to my rescue?”

He didn’t answer. He treated it as a rhetorical question. He was fully aware she could simply summon demons and what not in place of her now dead guards. Or even revive her dead guards. He slowly and carefully approached her. She watched his every move. Then stood up, so he wouldn’t tower over her so much, but was still shorter. Somehow, it gave him satisfaction. Being a tall elf had its use after all: not let a human assert her dominance by looking down on him.

“I knew you before the ritual,” she said. “I remember what you don’t.” He wasn’t even tempted. “Wouldn’t you like to know what I know?” she asked sweetly.

“I struck such a deal once,” he said. He was so close now he could whisper. His voice was so filled with contempt that he was almost hissing. “The gain wasn’t worth it, and I broke my word anyway.”

“Maybe I could give you something more. Something about your mother and sister.”

“My mother is dead, and my sister sold my life for personal gain,” he said. “Hardly worthy arguments.”

It was true. His curiosity of his previous life was almost completely gone. What had been discovered, was successfully destroyed by disappointment. Everything that mattered to him now was the present and the future: with Zevran, with Nadami, and with Eeyo. Alavia had nothing of value to him. Even when talking to Tamrith, they chatted about their more recent adventures, not their slavery times.

She wasn’t ready to give up, though. “I’m sure we could come to some sort of agreement. I assure you it’s a better outcome for you than the alternative. I am not defenceless.”

“You made a mistake,” he said quietly. “Whatever demons you summon, whatever monster you turn yourself into, whatever nightmares you bring here from the Fade, you will not live to see them kill me.”

She opened her mouth to say or ask something, but he wasn’t going to give her time to realise what that mistake was: she’d let him approach so close he could easily reach her now.

His glowing hand sank in her chest, catching her breath in either by inability to breathe with a slowly solidifying hand inside her body, or by surprise. He pulled her heart out, vaguely aware of heat suddenly surrounding him. He watched it for a moment, before dropping it on her already dead body lying in a heap on the floor, then quickly took notice of bearings, and reached for his sword.

With her last breath, she managed to summon demons indeed, and his friends – his family – were already busy fighting them. Those closest to the window fell by arrows, while Zevran was fighting whatever Eeyo couldn’t reach. Fenris swept wide with his sword, and with great satisfaction started cutting the monstrosities down. Once in a while he glanced at the magister’s body to make sure she was still dead. These powerful mages had a lot of tricks up their sleeves, and he was not about to get caught by one.

But her mutilated corpse stayed dead, and soon the room was just burning curtains from the demon’s own fire.

“We need to get out of here!” Zevran shouted.

They ran out of the room, trying to make as much noise as possible to warn everybody of the spreading fire. This hadn’t been planned, but it was convenient. They could effectively get everybody out without being questioned, and lead them to a safe place.

In the growing crowd, he spotted Nadami’s ginger head. He smiled at the sight.

  


**6**

  


Eeyo made his way down the tree, and ran toward the place where the slaves were to be taken over the wall to freedom.

He didn’t think he’d seen so many so scared people in one place, and that was including the slaver raid on the elven part of Redcliff. They were confused, lost, and terrified. They followed orders like sheep, without questioning. A few people who showed some initiative were briefly told they were free, and asked to help keep the rest from randomly spreading, and subsequently getting lost.

Once the mansion was empty, Fenris said it was not the end, as many people were held in other places.

“That is our problem,” Tamrith smiled at him. Then paused for a moment, before asking, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”

Fenris looked at his face for a long moment, then shook his head.

“Is it even tempting?” Tamrith asked.

Eeyo noticed Nadami took Fenris’s hand. Her drawn together eyebrows showed concern. She feared the answer.

“Maybe a little. But I have too much to lose. And I can still do lots of good. Just differently.”

“You would help us. Your presence would help us. You give hope.”

“I have no desire to be a legend.”

“You are one nonetheless. Your story is important to every slave in Tevinter.”

Fenris shook his head again. “When you retell the story,” he began softly, “Say that the elf freed himself not only from the physical chains, but also mental. He walked until he found a place where he was happy, and chose to stay there. He was free to choose the path of his life without constantly looking back, and that was exactly what he did.”

Tamrith nodded with sad understanding, finally accepting Fenris’s refusal. He turned to leave, following the small crowd of former-now slaves led by his companion, when an arrow swooshed, and hit him in the chest.

The force of impact knocked him backwards, and Fenris grabbed him before he fell on the ground.

“No, no, no, no…” the warrior kept whispering in a desperate voice. He gently placed his old friend on the ground.

Another arrow landed by Zevran’s feet.

“Andraste’s flaming knickers!” Nadami shouted, and stood in front of Zevran.

Finally Eeyo understood what was happening: someone was trying to shoot the Antivan. There was still unresolved contract on his head, and the assassin finally raised his head again. The Dalish took an arrow, and placed it on the bow. He stood in front of Zevran next to Nadami, so that Zev was shielded by both their bodies, and aimed it in the general direction of where the previous two had come from. He was ready to shoot blind, if necessary, and hit the arsehole before he’d kill them all.

But nothing more happened. Apparently, the assassin gave up… for now at least.

Fenris was sitting on his heels, with Tamrith’s head in his lap. It was clear Tamrith was dead. Judging by the placement of the arrow in his chest, he’d died instantly.

A moment later the Tevinter stood up. Fury on his face was terrifying.

“Fenris…” Nadami began softly, but he gave her a look that immediately silenced her.

Then his eyes moved to Zevran, and the fury frown shifted into a worry frown.

“I want that assassin dead before he takes more of people dear to my heart,” he growled.

“He will be,” Eeyo said, and he truly believed it. He picked the arrow lodged in the ground in front of Zevran’s feet, and put into his quiver. He hoped it’d tell them something on the identity of the archer.

He also noticed Zevran was unusually quiet. Not a joke out of him. Not a smirk. He’d just looked the death in the face, and it left him silent.

They moved ahead, leaving the burning mansion behind. Eeyo hoped he’d never return here. Fenris carried Tamrith’s body. He refused to leave it behind to unknown fate. Tamrith needed to be returned to his people.


	20. Epilogue

Nadami had no idea how much her hands were shaking, until she was putting a glass of water in front of Zevran. She nearly spilled it.

She’d almost lost him tonight. She’d almost lost them both.

She looked at Fenris. “I thought you’d go with him,” she said very quietly. Tears formed in her eyes.

He approached her, and took her face in his hands. He raked aside the hair from her face, and looked into her eyes. “I don’t want to live for a cause. I want to live for you.”

She bit her lower lip, trying not to start crying. “Are you all right? You formed a new friendship with him.” The elf’s body was returned to his companion, and for the second time Nadami felt that Fenris was tempted to go with that woman, and join the rebels.

He didn’t answer, so she just hugged him gently.

“I have bad news,” Eeyo said suddenly. He was studying the arrow he’d brought with him since they’d returned to their room in the tavern. He pointed to a small spot on the weapon. “See this?”

There was a barely visible pattern carved on it.

“What is it?” Fenris asked, nearing his face to it.

“It’s the Cabrero House crest,” Nadami answered barely above the whisper. Everybody looked at her, and for a moment her heart stopped beating. “You’re not thinking–”

“Turo,” Zevran mumbled.

“–that it’s me!”

“Idiot,” the Tevinter said, looking at her both annoyed and amused. “Of course we aren’t.”

“But why?” She was confused. She sat at the table, and looked at Zevran, whose painful frown made her whole soul ache.

“He’s a traditionalist. I break all the rules, and even have ideas of reforming. That’s enough a reason, no?”

“But…” Something didn’t add up. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” Fenris said. “He’d also get you back, and probably counts on Eeyo, too.”

“I’d rather die,” the Dalish muttered angrily.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Nadami said.

“Why are you defending him?!” Fenris roared, slamming his hands flat on the table, furious. “He’s trying to kill Zevran!”

“I’m not trying to defend him!” she replied offended, but keeping her calm. “I’m just saying it may not be the full answer to our question. Think about it! For months we couldn’t even tell if it was a Crow contract. And now we know which House? Too convenient.”

“You think he was set up?” Zevran asked.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. I have no doubt he’d put a contract on my head, if it served his purpose.” She sighed. “My point is,” she resumed, looking directly into Fen’s squinted eyes, “that we should not lay our guard down, and remain cautious, in case there are more players than just Turo.”

The Tevinter relaxed a bit, and sat down. “Agreed,” he grumbled. He looked at Zevran. “We need to return home, and deal with it in Antiva.”

Zevran nodded. “We’ll leave tonight. Our payment for the contract burnt with the mansion, so there’s no reason to stay here any longer.” After a moment, he added, “The timing is interesting, no? We were not disturbed until the magister contract was completed. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“It also means we were watched all the time,” Eeyo said.

The thought sent chills down Nadami’s spine.

Zevran abruptly got up, filled with new energy. He clasped his palms together in a cheerful mood. Or so he wanted to appear. Nadami was not fooled. “Time to start packing, and head home, yes?”

“Let’s leave this mage shithole, yes,” Fenris grumbled.

“We need to plan a route home that isn’t obvious, so the little assassin spy can’t follow us or guess where we are,” Eeyo added.

Nadami watched the elves spin into action, and after a short while joined them in packing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story didn't go exactly as I planned. It was supposed to be an epic story of Fenris becoming a big legend and a force behind a wide-spread slave rebellion in Tevinter, but he refused to be both (although didn't wriggle out completely from being one of those things), and I got entangled in their relationship too much. I also lost steam while writing, which is visible in the rushed ending, for which I apologise. But I figured it's better to finish like this than not finish at all.
> 
> Now off to find out who wants to assassinate Zevran!


End file.
